Haaretz Opinion: Netanyahu Uses Iran War to Sidestep Legal Reckoning

Haaretz columnist Zvi Bar'el argues that Israel's conflict with Iran may be serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal political interests, allowing him to sidestep his ongoing criminal trial and pardon request. Bar'el contends that wartime conditions — characterized by sirens, missile interceptions, and national emergency — effectively drown out public scrutiny of Netanyahu's domestic legal troubles. The column suggests that once the conflict ends, Netanyahu will seek to leverage the death of Khamenei to secure another term in office or at minimum a pardon from prosecution.