Netanyahu’s Day of Atonement
Gideon Saar was the first Likud member to make known his intention to challenge Benjamin Netanyahu for leadership of the party, but he is not alone in wanting to assume the crown.
According to Israeli Justice Ministry sources, the four-day hearing during which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal team sought to convince Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to dismiss the pending indictments against him, or to at least to lessen the charges, had ended inconclusively. Right after Yom Kippur, which falls on Oct. 9, Mandelblit will embark on a marathon of consultations and summaries before reaching a conclusion about the allegations against Netanyahu by mid-December. Barring unexpected developments, Mandelblit’s decision is expected to make Israeli history, resulting in indictments on charges of corruption against an incumbent prime minister. Leaks from the discussions over the coming month will directly affect Netanyahu’s political future and his prospects for forming a new government.
Netanyahu himself is far from conceding defeat. He will fight to the last minute and the final bullet. Contrary to his original intention, he did not rush to return the mandate he received from President Reuven Rivlin after the Sept. 17 elections to form a government. On Oct. 10, the Likud Central Committee is scheduled to convene to decide whether Netanyahu, and he alone, will be the party’s candidate for prime minister. Netanyahu, chronically suspicious and especially now, asked for this strange, unnecessary vote, knowing that behind the smiles and staunch declarations of support by the Likud leadership, the knives are at the ready. Behind the scenes and under the radar, a vicious battle is already underway to succeed Netanyahu. The incumbent refuses to step aside, however, and the legacy he leaves his successor, if any, will be scorched earth.
Almost all those seeking to take Netanyahu’s crown are operating in the shadows while swearing allegiance to him three times a day. The only one already in line to replace Netanyahu is Gideon Saar, “the great Satan” as Netanyahu’s associates call him, a popular former Likud minister who has had no qualms about standing up to Netanyahu in recent years, usually winning. Saar, who took time out from politics a few years ago under pressure from Netanyahu, is perceived at the prime minister's official residence as a person who will do everything in his power, together with the other Satan, Rivlin, to bring Netanyahu down. Netanyahu dubbed their past alleged activity against him the “plot of the century,” a play on the “deal of the century,” as President Donald Trump's plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace is called. Now, the decisive moment is at hand, and other contenders are also waiting in the wings.
At least four senior Likud members have quietly set up campaign offices and are forging alliances, mobilizing support and planning what they will do once it is clear that the Netanyahu era is over, probably sometime next year. Among the wannabe candidates are former Jerusalem mayor and current Likud Knesset member Nir Barkat, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and maybe a few surprise challengers.
