The real story that has been unfolding before our eyes over the past year is not the fight against corruption, but rather the hunt to take out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and smash Israeli democracy.
There is evidence to this, primarily the trampling of the principle of equality under the law. There is no principle more important in a state predicated on the rule of law, as from the moment laws are not enforced equally for all citizens, the law becomes a most powerful tool used to attack and persecute specific officials while granting immunity to others.
For months now, the Israel Police have ordered hundreds of officers and investigators to look into one man's alleged misconduct around the clock, rather than focus on enforcing the law equally.
The Israel Police turned from a body that enforces the law and investigates suspected crimes to a body that systematically persecutes one person, spending valuable resources to come up with allegations against Netanyahu, whatever they may be. The police are supposed to detail such suspicions before they even begin an investigation.
More evidence of this selective enforcement and persecution is the fact that the police systematically ignore a long list of suspicions and reports of even worse deeds by other political players.
Case 2,000, for example, focuses on an illicit deal Netanyahu allegedly tried to strike with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes, under which Yedioth would soften its aggressive anti-Netanyahu stance in return for the prime minister using his influence to curtail the activities of Israel Hayom, Yedioth's chief rival. In this case, the investigators continue ignoring the fact that 43 MKs supported a bill seeking to shutter Israel Hayom, not to mention the fact that other senior politicians received positive coverage in Yedioth Ahronoth as the bill was being pushed through the legislative process.
The police continue to ignore the fact that then-Justice Minister Tzipi Livni ignored the legal opinion of Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, who ruled that the bill was unconstitutional. Instead, she chose to rely on the legal opinion of Yedioth Ahronoth.
The police also continue to ignore the fact that the then-ministers Shay Piron and Meir Cohen of Yesh Atid spent millions of shekels on advertising in Yedioth Ahronoth.
Even journalist Yoav Itzhak's 2016 report on serious allegations against former Major Crimes Unit Commander Maj. Gen. Yoav Segalovich – today a Yesh Atid member – was completely ignored by law enforcement authorities. Segalovich allegedly briefed former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi during the Harpaz investigation, which centers on a document forged by Lt. Col. (res.) Boaz Harpaz in an attempt to discredit Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant's 2010 candidacy for the position of IDF chief of staff.
And in the meantime, Netanyahu is being suspected of giving benefits to film producer Arnon Milchan in Case 1,000, based on Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid's testimony on the so-called Milchan law. This bill was allegedly pushed forward by Netanyahu in exchange for gifts he received from Milchan. Lapid himself was not questioned under caution. In addition, according to the reports, he personally endorsed the bill and met with both Milchan and Finance Ministry officials on the matter.
Alongside the systematic pursuit of Netanyahu and the selective law enforcement solely against him and not against his political rivals, we are witnesses to a tendentious flood of leaks that aim to sully Netanyahu's reputation and condemn him in the court of public opinion.
We must also add to these accusations of conspiracy leveled against Netanyahu's associates, alleging that they had gathered information on police investigators involved in the case. The meaning of is simple: Alsheikh has ulterior motives when dealing with the investigations into Netanyahu.
And now we are exposed to reports on the disgraceful treatment of the suspects in Case 4,000. Investigators apparently tried to break them physically and mentally to force them to testify against Netanyahu. It seems that right before our eyes, Israel is turning into a country where anti-democratic power players select a target and turn the police into an iron fist aimed is to break and trample over the prime minister. This is far more severe than any suspicion or case they try to pin on Netanyahu.
A country governed by the rule of law cannot allow for police activity with no mechanisms of checks and balances in place. Otherwise, there will be zero supervision and zero effective criticism. Israeli democracy depends now on its checks and balances.
