Prime Minister Netanyahu was just indicted for three crimes committed while in office – two for breach of trust and one for bribery.

Most people agree that it is very unlikely Mr Netanyahu will be found innocent when these cases come to trial.

Not all people agree that the charges are justified or even just.

Indeed the Prime Minister himself is leading the call against what he calls “a judicial coup d’etat, with fabricated accusations and a polluted investigative process.”
In response to an indictment entitled “The State of Israel vs Binyamin son of Bentzion Netanyahu”, Mr Netanyahu has chosen to fight back.
In legal terms, it would seems that the Prime Minister of Israel is fighting the State he leads.

No matter one’s perspective on Netanyahu’s skills, strengths, and politics, this is a terrible moment in Israeli history.

If Mr Netanyahu is correct, and the entire judicial establishment (including key staff that he personally appointed) is corrupt and intent on undermining the people’s choice of Prime Minister – Israel’s democracy has been destroyed from within.

If Mr Netanyahu is wrong and the entire court system is correct, then Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister has been corrupt for years, and is now calling for demonstrations against Israel’s backbone as a liberal democracy – the rule of law and law-enforcement agencies.

Time will tell whether Netanyahu’s calls to “investigate the investigators” will catch fire, or swiftly be doused by his rivals in the Likud Party.

What is already clear is that essential freedoms are at stake: The freedom of the majority to choose who makes choices for them; the freedom in knowing no one is above the law; and the personal freedom of one Binyamin son of Bentzion Netanyahu.