On Jan. 8, Israeli Channel 2 news published an audio recording of Yair Netanyahu, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son, speaking with Nir Maimon, the son of Israeli tycoon Kobi Maimon. The conversation took place in 2015 during a night of excess in Tel Aviv. The language used, as much of the content of the conversation, captured news headlines.
Now, imagine one of the major news outlets in the United States airing a recorded conversation in which President Donald Trump’s son is heard telling the son of an American gas tycoon, “My father cut a great deal for your father, bro. You should be thanking me. My dad fought Congress to push this through, bro. … My dad just arranged for yours to make $20 billion. True, my father shafted you with the committee that debated the US gas regulation initiative, but later he made it right. … My dad arranged $20 billion for your dad, and you’re whining with me about 400 shekels?” How many hours would it take the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel or for the FBI to launch an investigation into suspected bribery of major proportions and to summon all those involved?
