The opposition and the mainstream media have for years gone out of their way to discredit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They have intensified their efforts after it turned out that there are no takers for the Left's "courageous" peace policy or its socialist principles.
Having realized that they cannot regain power through the ballot box, it enlisted the Lahav 433 Major Crimes Unit. Well-known media personas and frustrated politicians have made sure that not a day would go by without some splashy headline that would somehow implicate the prime minister in various scandals.
The most troubling scandal has been the so called "submarine affair," in an alleged kickback scheme involving Israel's procurement of naval vessels from Germany. A combination of corruption with state security is of great concern for Israelis, who hold the security establishment in high regard.
The famous photo of Netanyahu entering a submarine appears on our television screens every time the affair comes up in the nightly news, as if he is going to collect some cash he left in the conning tower. Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, considered a trustworthy and honest person, recently stated that he had no doubt that Netanyahu was criminally involved in the affair.
An indignant Ya'alon said that Netanyahu wanted to rake in some cash for his own benefit and issued a threat: "If there is no indictment, I will go public with everything I know." Netanyahu responded that one day Ya'alon's brazen lies will come to light, but of course the prime minister's response was reported as if it was some afterthought.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid has cleverly said that Netanyahu and his associates have spearheaded the alleged crimes in the submarine affair. To add a dramatic effect, he added conspicuously: "I know more than what has been reported." He said: "There is no way Netanyahu would not be interrogated [as a suspect] in the affair," adding that the alleged crimes were much worse than other alleged misconduct because "this is state security, the holy of holies."
Anyone listening to Lapid would come to the conclusion that the prime minister was finally caught red-handed committing a major crime against the state.
And now, after many months, the submarines have resurfaced, and it turns out that the prime minister has been unfairly maligned. But of course, Netanyahu is not going to get an apology from the various politicians who insinuated he was guilty. Not a chance. Not in Israel.
But as for the media, it could do some soul searching. If they were to lose the public's trust this would be a threat to democracy and a shirking of their public duties. It is crucial that Israeli citizens know their prime minister, the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet and the military are protecting the country rather than selling them out for cash.
