It is too soon to determine whether Benjamin Netanyahu will end his career in the Prime Minister’s office or in court. Nonetheless, the draft indictments against him and investigation materials published over the past year sending shockwaves around the world are tarnishing Israel’s proud image of which it has long boasted as “the only democracy in the Middle East.” Netanyahu’s abuses via-a-vis the media and relentless attacks he and his eunuchs (messengers) direct at the country’s law enforcement authorities are reflected in the international Corruption Perceptions Index that ranks the perceived corruption level on a scale of 1-180, with the 180th spot being considered the most corrupt state. In the 2018 index, Israel came in 34th place after Qatar (33rd) and the United Arab Emirates (23rd).
An additional aspect has emerged in recent years in Israel’s tarnished reputation for probity and integrity, which is also linked to the questionable links between wealth and political power. Capitalizing on their Jewish origins, business people and even high-profile Russian and Ukrainian politicians are finding sanctuary in Israel and evading law enforcement authorities in their countries.
One of the most prominent is former Ukrainian Energy and Fuel Minister Eduard Stavytsky, who was suspected in a multimillion-dollar corruption affair. Stavytsky fled to Israel after the 2014 revolution in his country and changed his name to Nathan Rosenberg, just to be safe. Another example is Israeli-born businessman Ilan Shor, sentenced in Moldova in 2017 to 7½ years in jail for stealing from three banks. According to Moldovan news reports, based on an Interpol arrest warrant, Shor escaped to Israel.
Some criminals who made use of their Jewish origins to obtain an Israeli passport continued their thriving careers in the Holy Land. Gregory Lerner, who found shelter in Israel from suspicion of corruption in the former Soviet Union, was convicted of defrauding investors in Israel and allegedly tried to bribe local politicians. A 2017 amendment to the law, sponsored by the Yisrael Beitenu party of Moldovan-born, former Foreign and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, has turned the Israeli passport into a commodity traded by criminals too — if they are Jewish, of course.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
