Netanyahu To Run For Reelection Amid War & Corruption Trial

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be running for reelection in a vote set to take place later this year.

The 76-year-old Likud Party politician held office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021, retaking the position in December 2022. He has since presided over the nearly-forced Covid vaccination of his population, the October 7 false flag, the genocide in Palestine and dragging the U.S. into war against Iran.

While the election must be held by October, the exact date is yet to be announced. Another vote which will likely be held by that time is the U.S. Legislature voting on the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. Section 224 of that bill incorporates Israel into the U.S. military, which Netanyahu himself referred to as “my plan.”

If the U.S. military bill gets passed without section 224 being removed, the next Israeli Prime Minister will gain capabilities no foreign leader ever had. This makes Netanyahu’s incentive to win greater than in his previous races.

Another factor which is likely pushing Netanyahu to win reelection is his ongoing corruption scandal. The Prime Minister rescheduled a number of court dates, using his ongoing war as a justification.

“Due to classified security and diplomatic reasons connected … to the dramatic events that have taken place in the State of Israel and throughout the Middle East in recent times, the Prime Minister will not be able to testify in the proceeding for at least the next two weeks,” a filing to the Jerusalem District Court on Netanyahu’s behalf said in April.

He again delayed the judicial proceedings in May.

“Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three corruption cases. Indictments were filed in late November 2019,” Turkish news agency AA said. “Since his corruption trial began in 2020, Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing. Israeli law allows a presidential pardon only after a defendant admits guilt.”

Regarding Netanyahu’s political popularity, polls indicate he is largely looked down upon by the people of the Jewish State. Reuters detailed the Israeli sentiment toward their controversial and longtime leader:

Polls have repeatedly indicated that his coalition would fail to ‌win ⁠a majority at the next election. A poll published by the Jerusalem-based Israel Democracy Institute think tank on June 9 said that 61% of the Israeli public believe he should not run.

However, polls also show that a potential coalition of opposition ​parties would fall short ​of a parliamentary ⁠majority unless they form a coalition with Arab parties, which some opposition leaders have ruled out.

Likud itself is a coalition of so-called “rightwing” Israeli parties, although that terminology has a different meaning than when used for Western political parties.

“The Likud Party began as a joint electoral list established in 1973 ahead of the elections for the eighth Knesset, which included Herut, the Liberal Party, the Free Center, the National List, and the Movement for Greater Israel. In 1988, these all merged into a single party called Likud,” The Israel Democracy Institute said.