HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT

The list is long. Two corruption cases, launched last year, directly involve Netanyahu: the Bezeq scandal and another one in which he is accused of accepting nearly $300,000 in gifts — including Champagne and cigars — from a Hollywood tycoon seeking a tax break in Israel. In addition, the prime minister has been linked to two more cases involving defense contracts and the illegal enrichment of Bezeq. And that’s on top of his extravagant spending, like a 2013 allegation that he dropped $27,000 of state money on pistachio ice cream.

But can he power through? Having won multiple elections and escaped trouble before, Netanyahu has long been known as a shrewd political operator. It’s unclear whether he’ll be able to emerge from his latest quagmire, but any actual indictment may be months away, pending a hearing with his lawyers and a decision by the attorney general. With roughly half of Israelis still supporting him in polls, Netanyahu has given indications that he’s unlikely to resign and will instead face the court if indicted.

Wagging the drone? Netanyahu’s long been accused of crying wolf about Iranian nuclear weapons. At the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, he held up a piece of what he claimed was an Iranian drone shot down over Israel and offered it back to Iran’s minister of foreign affairs, warning that Israel “will act without hesitation to defend ourselves.” Political opponents also accuse Netanyahu of launching recent airstrikes against Syria to distract from his political troubles.

The Trump playbook. The prime minister appears to have borrowed more than one page from the scandal management playbook of his good friend, U.S. President Donald Trump. Thus far, he has denied all charges and maintained a stubborn defiance, casting the investigations as a political and police conspiracy and an “obsessive, unprecedented witch hunt.” The cloud of scandal could also limit the impact of his visit to Washington next month to meet with Trump and speak at the annual AIPAC conference.

WHAT TO READ

Netanyahu’s Long Goodbye, by Anshel Pfeffer in Haaretz
"He may refuse to admit it to himself, but Netanyahu has embarked on his long goodbye."

Netanyahu’s Shakespearean Tragedy, by Nahum Barnea in Ynet
"The fact that Netanyahu feels persecuted doesn’t mean he isn’t being persecuted."

WHAT TO WATCH