As part of the widespread witch hunt against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israel Police are making no small effort to recruit witnesses against him.
On Tuesday, they revealed that former Communications Ministry Director General Shlomo Filber had agreed to become a state's witness in Case 4,000, the latest investigation into alleged corruption and impropriety involving Netanyahu. The case alleges that Netanyahu made a deal with controlling shareholder of Israeli telecom giant Bezeq, Shaul Elovitch, to ease government restrictions on the company in exchange for positive coverage in the Walla news site, which Bezeq owns.
Filber first fed police one version of what happened during his time as the Communication Ministry's director general after being arrested, but apparently, the smell of Lysol in his holding cell, along with the accusations of corruption and obstruction of justice convinced him to offer a different version of events to investigators. Needless to say, the speed with which he cracked and agreed to be a state's witness surprised even Shula Zaken, a witness in the Holyland corruption scandal against former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, for which he served 16 months of a six-year-prison sentence.
That being said, a man must put himself first, and the Israeli justice system recognizes the right of the accused to avoid feeling the full force of the law in exchange for willingness to become a state witness.
Immediately after Filber was reportedly recruited, known media outlets began their victory celebrations. Some self-proclaimed experts believe they already know what Filber said in his testimony, and have already decided Netanyahu's future. With limitless glee and absolute conviction, they detail exactly what options he had left.
The impatience of some in the left-wing media comes as no surprise, for their unified goal is a regime change without elections – right now. The sight of these activists in the media, smug and arrogant, only serves to convince a majority of the public that this is no campaign of integrity, but rather a political witch hunt.
To the disappointment of this witch hunt's leaders, it is almost universally understood that it would be most problematic to hand the future of the country over to a dubious trio of left-wing leaders: Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid, and Zionist Union's Avi Gabbay and Tzipi Livni. How can anyone fall asleep at night while these three sit by the red phone and make decisions with human lives at stake?
The pace at which new cases involving the prime minister is being revealed is incredible. Even before Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh concluded his appearance before the Internal Affairs Committee regarding the investigations against Netanyahu on Tuesday, the media spotlight swiftly moved from Filber to former judge Hila Gerstel's ostensible bribe offer by Nir Hefetz, a former Netanyahu spokesman who was arrested along with Filber in connection with Case 4,000.
Hefetz allegedly offered Gerstel to be appointed as attorney general in exchange for her closing ongoing cases against Netanyahu's wife, Sara. This offer was known by Esther Hayut, the current chief justice, but she did not report this to police. The offer reminded some of late Justice Mishael Cheshin's opinion when the High Court decided to close the Greek Island case in the era of late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Cheshin notably quipped that picking up the telephone to report a conspiracy to commit a crime to police requires very little effort.
I know Gerstel. I have appeared before her and do not have the slightest doubt regarding her integrity and rationality. If she thought for a second that this offer had the clear markings of a crime, she would have spoken to the police.
The unknown party that ensured this offer would be published now has two goals, in my opinion. The first goal is to put pressure on Hefetz to turn into a state witness as well. If he does not agree, it is expected that police will be accused of being an accessory to bribery, if not worse.
The second goal, which in my opinion is the more problematic, is to send a message to Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit that if he decides to not prosecute Netanyahu, the media will print headlines portraying his appointment as a bribe accepted in exchange for closing cases against the Netanyahus.
Those who exposed the alleged Gerstel offer joined the likes of Eldad Yaniv, Menachem Naftali and their ilk, who have set their sights on the attorney general as the primary target through which they intend to carry out their political agenda.
