Copyright Bloomberg
The ongoing trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges has altered national politics in Israel. It’s elicited calls by US President Donald Trump for the dismissal of the case, sparking concern over American interference. And it’s bolstered a longstanding sentiment among those on the right in Israel that the courts, which they consider a bastion of the liberal elite, are using the law for political ends and need to be reined in. The government’s effort to do just that has deeply divided Israeli society. A judicial overhaul plan is again on the national agenda after Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement in October following two years of war. The charges against the prime minister span three cases consolidated into a single trial that began in 2020. Netanyahu, who denies all the charges, says they’re part of an orchestrated witch hunt by those who can’t beat him at the ballot box.
