Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, is no stranger to scandal. Over three decades in politics, the 75-year-old has been accused of everything from spending excessive public money on ice-cream and striking deals with media outlets for favourable coverage to undermining trust in public institutions and the rule of law. In November, the international criminal court announced it was seeking his arrest for alleged war crimes in the conflict in Gaza.
To date, the prime minister has always managed to find a way to cling on to power – and public support. But even for “King Bibi”, as he is known to both supporters and detractors, this has been a difficult week, as a new scandal known as Qatargate gains momentum.
