It seems that these days in the United States, it is virtually impossible to watch an hour of news without at least one mention of the possibility that President Trump will be indicted, convicted, and thrown into prison. The charges are a constantly shifting high-crimes-and-misdemeanors target range of collusion, obstruction of justice, money laundering, treason, and mental and emotional incompetence. So far, all the shots have missed. But the president’s opponents persist under the philosophy that if you fire enough bullets you’re bound to eventually hit something.

What many people don’t realize is that the same legal target-shooting is taking place in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The difference is that according to Israel’s attorney general, he’s hit not just one bull’s-eye but several. It seems likely that the attorney general will issue indictments against Netanyahu sometime in the next three to twelve months.

The charges center around three separate cases:

•Case 1000, “The Illegal Gifts Affair”—This is a breach of trust case, and revolves around the prime minister receiving expensive gifts such as cigars and champagne from some billionaire friends. In exchange, he is accused of using his influence to pass legislation beneficial to these friends. Netanyahu admits to the gifts but counters that he has had a relationship with these men for years.[1] Exchanging gifts is just what friends do.

•Case 2000, “The Yediot Aharonot–Israel Hayom Affair”—This is also a breach of trust case.[2] Yediot Aharonot and Israel Hayom are two competing newspapers. For a number of years Israel Hayom has been the number one newspaper in the nation. The allegation is that the chairman and editor of Yediot Aharonot, Arnon Mozes, offered Netanyahu favorable interviews and coverage in exchange for the prime minister using his influence to limit the distribution of the more popular Israel Hayom. According to The Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu’s defense is that “the negotiations with Mozes were an elaborate act and [he] expressed frustration that other politicians involved in similar schemes have not been criminally probed.”[3]

•Case 4000, “The Bezeq-Walla Affair”—This serious case involves bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.[4] Bezeq is Israel’s largest telecommunications company, and in 2012 it acquired the nation’s largest Internet portal, Walla!. Not surprisingly, this is the most complicated of the cases. The jist of the charge is an allegation that Netanyahu gave regulatory aid to Shaul Elovitch, Bezeq’s controlling shareholder, in exchange for favorable news coverage on the Walla! news site.[5] Both Netanyahu and Elovitch deny the charges. Netanyahu claims that Walla! rarely gave him positive coverage, and even if they had it wouldn’t have been illegal to begin with.[6]

The prime minister calls the investigations a “witch hunt”[7]—a phrase that has become familiar here in America. His supporters see the actions of the attorney general as “a political hit job.”[8] With a hotly contested national election rapidly approaching on April 9, it’s easy to see why they feel this way.

My attitude toward these charges is the same as it is toward the accusations against Donald Trump. If they are true, then justice should be done. We are all held to a legal standard, and there are penalties when the lines are crossed. I also know that political operatives, especially in today’s climate, will stop at nothing to take down their opponents. I have spent time with Benjamin Netanyahu. I have respect for him, and he has done much good for Israel. I also spent time with Donald Trump in a personal meeting on March 8 discussing Israel, Iran, and North Korea. As with Netanyahu, I have respect for the American president. He has done a tremendous amount of good for both America and Israel.

As the Church, our role is not to be the judge and jury in these situations. That’s the purview of our judicial systems. Our job is to be the prayer army that surrounds our leaders and our nations. We pray for protection. We pray for truth. We pray for the strength needed for them to keep carrying out their God-ordained jobs in the midst of the slings and arrows. And, ultimately, we pray that in the end Truth will win out.

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[1] Bob, Yonah Jeremy. “Mandelblit Announces Intent to Indict Benjamin Netanyahu for Bribery.” The Jerusalem Post, 1 Mar. 2019, www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Mandelblit-announces-intent-to-indict-Benjamin-Netanyahu-for-bribery-582026.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] TOI Staff. “Attorney General Reportedly Set to Notify Netanyahu of Bribery Charges Thursday.” The Times of Israel, 27 Feb. 2019, www.timesofisrael.com/attorney-general-reportedly-set-to-notify-netanyahu-of-bribery-charges-thursday/.

[6] Bob, Yonah Jeremy.

[7] TOI Staff.

[8] Bachner, Michael. “Gantz Calls on Netanyahu to Resign, Saying Israel Can’t Have a ‘Part-Time PM.’” The Times of Israel, 28 Feb. 2019, www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-february-28-2019/.