Benjamin Netanyahu is facing two separate sets of criminal allegations at the same time, a corruption trial in Israel and an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (the ICC). In this post I am going to walk you through both, and I am going to stick to the record. Let me explain.
I’m Mitch Jackson. I’ve been trying cases for 40 years. I read the filings. Here are the facts and what you need to know.
The Israel Cases
Start with Israel. Netanyahu was indicted in November 2019. His trial began in May 2020. As of September 2026, that case is still pending. It is three cases rolled into one prosecution, and across those three cases he faces one count of bribery and three counts of fraud and breach of trust.
Case 1000 is fraud and breach of trust. Prosecutors allege Netanyahu and his wife received roughly 700,000 shekels, about $210,000, in gifts from two billionaire businessmen. In exchange, prosecutors say, he helped secure a United States visa and pushed tax legislation that one of those men stood to benefit from.
Case 2000 is also fraud and breach of trust. Prosecutors allege Netanyahu negotiated with one of Israel’s major daily newspapers for friendlier coverage, and in return he would potentially support legislation that would hurt a competing newspaper.
Case 4000 involves allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu was serving as prime minister and communications minister at the same time. Prosecutors allege he advanced regulatory decisions that benefited the controlling shareholder of a telecommunications company, while seeking favorable coverage from a news site tied to that same man. The indictment puts the alleged unjust enrichment at roughly $500 million at 2019 exchange rates.
So what does that carry if he is convicted? Under Section 290(a) of Israel’s Penal Law, bribery carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. Fraud and breach of trust by a public servant under Section 284 carries a maximum of 3 years. Israeli courts ordinarily run sentences concurrently, meaning at the same time, so the three fraud counts do not simply stack up to nine years.
The International Criminal Court Cases
Completely separate from the corruption trial are the charges and arrest warrant by the ICC.
On November 21, 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister. The Court found “reasonable grounds to believe” they both bear criminal responsibility for war crimes, specifically starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally directing an attack against a civilian population. The charged crimes against humanity include murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.
The Court found reasonable grounds to believe both men bear responsibility as co-perpetrators for the starvation charge and for the crimes against humanity, and as civilian superiors for directing the attack on a civilian population. Co-perpetrator means you carried it out together. Civilian superior means you were in charge of the people who did.
The allegations and charges relate to a war that has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 173,000, according to Gaza health authorities as relayed by the UN. It displaced 1.9 million people and caused approximately $35.2 billion in physical destruction. The ICC case will determine what portion of that suffering will legally be attributed to the crimes alleged against Netanyahu.
If Netanyahu were arrested or surrendered, he would be brought before the Court in The Hague. The Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC, spells out the procedures for surrender, an initial appearance, and possible detention or conditional release pending trial.
The ICC does not try people in absentia, meaning without the defendant in the courtroom. No trial can start while Netanyahu stays outside the Court’s reach. The 125 states that signed the Rome Statute carry an obligation to arrest and surrender him. The United States is not one of them. In July 2026 Trump ruled out any arrest.
If he were eventually convicted by the ICC, Article 77 of the Rome Statute allows up to 30 years in prison, or life imprisonment when justified by the extreme gravity of the crime and the individual circumstances of the convicted person. The Court may also impose fines and forfeiture of proceeds, property, and assets derived directly or indirectly from the crimes, while protecting bona fide third parties. Under Article 75, the ICC may also order reparations to victims, including restitution, compensation, and rehabilitation, either directly from the convicted person or through the ICC’s Trust Fund for Victims.
So here is what to watch. First, the Israeli corruption trial, still pending after more than six years, with a 10-year maximum on the bribery count. Second, custody, because until someone actually arrests Netanyahu and delivers him to The Hague, the ICC case will not move to trial.
These are the facts. Two tracks, two courts, and two very different sets of consequences.
Mitch Jackson, Esq.
Related: Trump Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Vladimir Putin, a War Crimes Fugitive
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Nail the bastard.
And meanwhile, back on the farm, our president is best buddies with Netanyahu (as well as Putin, Xi, Kim, Lukashenko, ....).