Like a submarine disappearing and reemerging from the depths, the "submarine affair" flickers in and out of our lives. The purpose of the earthshattering "revelations" about the decision-making process, which more or less regurgitated previous testimonies, is to perpetuate the media blitz on the State Attorney and Attorney General to force them to ultimately launch legal proceedings against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his role in this matter. It's a script that played out well on previous occasions but hasn't quite hit the mark yet in this instance, which has already been dubbed "the most egregious corruption case in Israel's history." So egregious, in fact, that the word "treason" has been floated around to describe the prime minister's conduct -- no less.
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But who are the ones harming the nation's security and its foreign relations by promoting an undemocratic power grab? The prime minister was absolved of any connection to this affair. Yet here we are -- another "revelation" about the pressure he applied to procure German vessels to protect the natural gas rigs at sea.
Things that aren't being said in this context:
- The Israeli Navy has a longstanding partnership with the Germans, who build submarines tailored for Israel's military needs. This type of experience isn't easily discarded, simply due to administrative and bureaucratic formalities. Obviously, it would be desirable to maintain this partnership and strengthen ties with Germany.
- Germany has sold submarines and other vessels to Israel at a significant discount. This isn't merely a gesture toward Israel, but also a German interest to ensure employment at German shipyards.
- Germany not only supplies submarines to Egypt but also to Turkey -- which currently poses a greater potential threat to Israel's security. In both cases, we can assume the Germans have committed to maintaining Israel's underwater superiority, which has been a trademark of Chancellor Angela Merkel's government. There's no assurance that her successors will be as committed to Israel's security.
This array of considerations points to the highly sensitive nature, both in terms of security and diplomacy, of the German submarine issue. However, none of this matters to those who want Netanyahu's head on a platter.
The chase after new witnesses to "incriminate" Netanyahu in bad faith is more harmful to Israel's diplomatic-defense relations with Germany and other countries.
Germany will likely hesitate to sign new deals with Israel, out of concern that political actors will decide to embroil future Israeli statesmen in "corruption scandals." And thus, the witchhunt against Netanyahu impairs the country's security and diplomatic interests, similar to the "F-35 affair" opposite the United States and the United Arab Emirates. No, it's not Netanyahu who is the traitor.
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