Let Bibi Lead: Time to End the Distraction

Let’s be honest – Israel is not just weathering a storm; it is standing in the eye of one. A storm that’s literal, military, and deeply strategic. And at the helm is a leader not just seasoned by time, but one forged in fire – battle-tested and seemingly unbreakable. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – or as many of us simply call him, Bibi – stands tall when others would shrink. And today, more than ever, Israel needs his focus, his resolve, and his roar.

Yes, Bibi roars. Where others whisper, he acts. Where many leaders tiptoe, he takes bold strides. I have often called him a modern-day David Ben-Gurion – but with a Churchillian defiance that history will long remember.

But here is the heartbreak: Bibi’s leadership, at this critical juncture, is being distracted – not by war, not by rockets, but by a courtroom. By a set of corruption cases that, frankly, have dragged on for years and have become a burden not only on him, but on the entire Israeli body politic.

Even President Donald Trump – no stranger to courtroom drama – has spoken out. “A ridiculous witch hunt,” he called it. A “horror show” inflicted on a man who just helped save Israel’s bacon, partnering with the United States in precision strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. “There is nobody in Israel’s history that fought harder or more competently than Bibi Netanyahu,” President Trump said – and he’s not wrong.

I’m not asking for political immunity. I’m asking for perspective. Mercy. A little derech eretz – the kind of decency that understands timing, national interest, and the bigger picture. Because while Bibi is being cross-examined in court, he’s also being called upon to defend Israel’s future, manage complex regional conflicts, and maintain a fragile unity among Israelis from across the political spectrum.

Is that the kind of man we tie up in years of legal proceedings? Is this how we treat a wartime leader who has just navigated one of the most dangerous moments in Israel’s recent history?

Let me talk plainly. There is no Israeli leader alive today with Bibi’s strategic acumen, international stature, and deep understanding of Israel’s enemies and allies. Like Gurion, Bibi thinks in decades. He doesn’t govern for applause or headlines. He governs for history. I have no doubt that history will be kind to him.

This is not a call to overlook justice. It is a call to prioritize survival. It is a plea to recognize that Israel, like all thriving democracies, must sometimes make hard choices – not in defiance of justice, but in service of the nation’s resilience and renewal.

Israel is in the midst of redefining itself after a 12-Day War – militarily, diplomatically, economically. The stakes are sky-high. And innovating the future of Israel requires full, undivided leadership. We need Bibi at his sharpest, not stuck behind legal podiums answering questions about cigars and media coverage. Yes – answering questions about graft. It’s not even funny.

Let’s not forget: this is the same man who defied the odds in the 1990s by putting Israel’s security on the world map. He sounded the alarm on Iran when most leaders were still sipping tea at diplomatic summits. He built relationships with Arab nations when it seemed impossible. And under his leadership, Israel became not just a startup nation, but a global powerhouse of security, cyber, and technology – call it technological miracle of Israel.

That is not corruption. That is construction – of a nation, of a legacy, of a future.

Even now, as the ceasefire holds, peace talks begin, and discussions of expanding the Abraham Accords resurface, Bibi has not faltered. He continues to inspire soldiers, strategize with generals, and speak boldly on the world stage. His resolve is what steadies the ship. His presence is what reassures millions. And his leadership is what unites – even those who oppose him politically.

So, to Bibi’s political opponents and state prosecutors: this is not the time for retribution. This is the time for responsibility. Israel needs one voice, one vision, one leader focused on the task at hand.

And to the President of Israel Isaac Herzog, a respectful plea: consider the moment. Consider the man. Consider a pardon not as a political move, but as a patriotic act. Let Bibi lead. Let him serve his country in full capacity, without the shadows of courtroom drama. History will not forget such a gesture. Nor will the people.

Because when all is said and done, we won’t be judged by how many legal procedures we perfected. We’ll be judged by whether Israel endured – and thrived.

Let Bibi be. Let him do what he does best – defend, inspire, lead. For now is the time not to punish, but to preserve. Not to litigate, but to liberate leadership from distraction.

This is Israel’s moment of reckoning – and Bibi Netanyahu still has more chapters to write in the story of this miraculous nation, a gift of G-d.