Israel Holds Election as Netanyahu Campaigns Under ICC Warrant and Corruption Charges

Israel is holding elections on October 27, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is campaigning while dealing with an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over alleged Gaza war crimes, according to NewsBytes (newsbytesapp.com). He also faces ongoing corruption trials at home.

NewsBytes reports that Netanyahu has been charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust tied to business and media deals. He firmly denies the allegations against him, and the charges have not been resolved in the reports available here, so the accusations should be weighed as claims that have yet to be tested in full (Proverbs 18:17).

NewsBytes reports that if Netanyahu loses the election, he could lose his diplomatic immunity, and that he could face arrest if he travels to ICC member countries. Al-Monitor (al-monitor.com) takes a different view of his political future, reporting that he is likely to stay in politics even if he loses the October 27 election.

Al-Monitor reports that polls suggest Netanyahu could face a deadlock with his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, or suffer a humiliating defeat. Netanyahu turned 77 on October 21 and is seeking a seventh term, and none of Likud’s aspiring leaders is challenging him. According to Al-Monitor, he has never groomed a successor and has quashed early efforts to prepare for a post-Netanyahu era.

Al-Monitor reports that a senior Likud minister, speaking anonymously, said Netanyahu will leave when he wants to and that anyone who tries to push him aside will be punished. Likud members, the outlet reports, understand that these are Netanyahu’s final years but consider him the most popular figure in the party.

Likud figures remain convinced Netanyahu will prevail, as he has in nearly every election over the past 17 years.