By Middle East correspondent Eric Tlozek, ABC
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. File photo. Photo: Nir Elias / AFP
Israel's "King Bibi" has trouble in his palace.
With protesters camping outside Benjamin Netanyahu's house and Israelis being told to return to war, the prime minister is nevertheless going further than ever in a contentious quest to remove opponents and obstacles.
According to leading experts, the stakes are high.
They're outraged, and have publicly said Israeli democracy has been backsliding under Netanyahu.
Constitutional law professor Suzie Navot, from the Israel Democracy Institute, wrote: "The red flags could not be bigger - those keen on protecting the security and democracy of the state of Israel should heed the warning."
Former chief justice, the highly respected Aharon Barak, told Israel's Channel 12 this week: "Israel is very close to civil war."
Here are the six main battles the country's longest-serving leader is fighting.
Sacking the head of the Israel Security Agency
Before now, no Israeli government had fired the director of Israel's domestic spy agency.
Ronen Bar was one of the leaders of Israel's negotiating team before being replaced in February by Netanyahu confidante Ron Dermer.
Netanyahu has since alleged Bar was blackmailing him and making "mafia-style criminal threats".
Israel Security Agency (ISA, also known as Shin Bet) director Ronen Bar (right). Photo: Supplied
The Shin Bet director had criticised Netanyahu's dealings with public officials, saying his "expectation of personal loyalty, whose purpose contradicts the public interest, is a fundamentally flawed expectation".
This week, Bar wrote a letter to Cabinet ministers directly linking his dismissal to the investigation into the prime minister's office.
"Significant investigative steps are underway, and disrupting them through a sudden and rushed dismissal - based on entirely baseless claims - reeks of foreign interests and an unprecedented conflict of interest," he wrote.
Bar's predecessor Nadav Argaman had implied in a bombshell TV interview that he had incriminating information about the prime minister but was choosing not to reveal it to preserve the important relationship between the agency director and the prime minister.
"If the prime minister acts unlawfully, I will say everything I know," he warned.
One of Shin Bet's functions is to protect Israeli democracy.
Section 7a of the Basic Law on the Knesset (equivalent to constitutional law in Israel) allows the Shin Bet to disallow someone from the Knesset (Parliament) if they, in "words or deeds threaten the essence of Israeli democracy".
The suggestion that this rule could be applied to Netanyahu after his attempts to overhaul the judiciary and sack senior public servants has added to the tension between him and the agency.
The attempt to remove Bar also came after his agency began investigating members of Netanyahu's staff accused of improperly accepting influence payments from Qatar, tainting Netanyahu's attempt to remove him with allegations of conflict of interest.
Qatar-gate
Netanyahu's former aide Eli Feldstein (also a former spokesman for National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir - more on him later) has been charged with illegally leaking classified information to a German newspaper.
It was also recently revealed he had received payments from a lobbyist for Qatar while working in the prime minister's office.
Two other suspects have been detained in connection with the investigation. They are suspected of fraud, bribery, breach of trust, money laundering, and illegal contact with a foreign agent.
The scandal has led to suggestions Netanyahu may eventually be implicated, although the prime minister's office said Feldstein did not work directly for him.
Sacking the attorney-general
Israel's Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara is a public servant, not a politician.
Her role is to both defend the government and oppose any actions considered illegal.
She has fallen foul of the government by opposing the dismissal of Bar and other actions by Netanyahu, such as elements of his government's controversial changes to the judicial system, the appointment of convicted criminal Aryeh Deri to Cabinet and interference by the national security minister in police investigations.
Israel's Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, is responsible for prosecuting elected officials, including Netanyahu. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen / AFP
The attorney-general is also responsible for prosecuting elected officials, including - at the moment - Netanyahu.
Because he is still on trial for corruption charges, Netanyahu is barred by a conflict of interest agreement from participating in any decisions regarding the judicial system and law enforcement in general.
Technically, he is not involved in the process to dismiss the attorney-general, which is being initiated by the justice minister.
Israelis nevertheless suspect the dismissal is being done at Netanyahu's behest, or at the very least for his benefit, and legal scholars say it could still breach the conflict of interest agreement.
Netanyahu's government also wants to change how the AG is appointed and is also attempting to change how judges are appointed to the country's High Court.
The justice minister is refusing to recognise the election of a new chief justice and refuses to fill three vacancies on the court's bench.
It was the government's attempt to reduce the power of the High Court that triggered long-running mass protests prior to the 7 October attacks.
Reappointing Ben-Gvir to Cabinet
The controversial National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir quit the Cabinet in protest at Netanyahu accepting the ceasefire deal.
Convicted of multiple charges as a young man, including supporting a terrorist organisation and inciting racism, he is now in charge of the police.
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. File photo. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen / AFP
Once described as a "pragmatic extremist", Ben-Gvir was reappointed to the Cabinet upon the Israeli government breaking the ceasefire 18 on March and resuming its attacks in Gaza.
The attorney-general advised the government he could not return to the national security role because of concerns about his conduct while a minister, something the government ignored.
Corruption trial
The government's breaking of the ceasefire on 18 March coincided with a scheduled appearance by Netanyahu in court for his long-running corruption trial.
He was due to testify but requested the hearing be cancelled because of the resumption of fighting.
Netanyahu is facing charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust in three cases.
In one, he's been accused of illicitly receiving lavish gifts from a Hollywood-based media mogul in exchange for helping with visa and tax problems.
In another, he's been accused of colluding with a newspaper publisher for favourable coverage in exchange for legislation to weaken a commercial rival.
Netanyahu has also been facing allegations he changed telecommunications regulations for the financial benefit of a media company - also in exchange for favourable coverage.
Netanyahu has called the charges a political witch hunt and claims they were fabricated to remove him from office.
The trial is in its fifth year and lawyers say the prime minister's testimony could take another 12 months to complete.
Ceasefire, commission of inquiry and an end to the war
Polls suggest most Israelis want the government to end the war, or at least see through the ceasefire deal, with some surveys indicating a majority want Netanyahu to resign.
There is a growing movement of reservists - critically important to Israel's military - refusing to return to duty, as well as large-scale protests.
There have been constant, large protests against the Israeli government and Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: AFP / Hazem Bader
Netanyahu has disregarded public sentiment in restarting Israel's campaign in Gaza, especially regarding the freeing of the 24 remaining living hostages, which was due to occur in the second phase of the deal.
He has also resisted efforts to launch a state commission of inquiry into the failures of the government, military and security services on 7 October 2023, initially saying it was inappropriate while the war was ongoing and lately suggesting it would be biased and not accepted by the Israeli public.
Israeli democracy is intended to be self-defending, that is, it contains safeguards to prevent itself from being subverted by a duly elected leader.
Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure from the families of hostages to free their loved ones. Photo: ABC News: Haidarr Jones
Netanyahu has often alleged that he is the one being unfairly targeted and his political agenda sabotaged by left-leaning institutions.
"In America and in Israel, when a strong right-wing leader wins an election, the leftist Deep State weaponizes the justice system to thwart the people's will," Netanyahu posted on X this week.
In America and in Israel, when a strong right wing leader wins an election, the leftist Deep State weaponizes the justice system to thwart the people's will. They won't win in either place!
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 19, 2025
We stand strong together.
His detractors, however, include former prime ministers, former High Court justices and most of the former heads of the country's security services.
-ABC
