The grotesque Hamas pogrom of 7 October 2023, in which around 800 Israeli civilians were murdered and 250 taken hostage – supported by some who do not believe Israel has a right to exist, still less defend itself – became Israel’s 9/11, igniting a horrendous retaliatory war with a secondary consequence for aghast onlookers – a consequence which is the subject of this documentary from Alexis Bloom. It refocused attention on what can only be described as the country’s ruling family, led by prime minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu and his wife Sara. (Their egregious son Yair here emerges with the remarkable distinction of being more rightwing than his parents.) They have become like haughty royals, self-pitying and self-dramatising: Netanyahu as a mixture of Donald Trump and Louis XIV.
The film shows us extraordinary leaked police interrogation video footage of Netanyahu, relating to the bribery and corruption charges he had been facing; allegedly accepting gifts in return for political favours from oligarchs such as former arms dealer, intelligence operative and Hollywood movie producer Arnon Milchan and telecoms plutocrat and media owner Shaul Elovitch. His corruption charges had given rise to gigantic demonstrations within Israel when it became clear that his proposed judicial reforms were designed to make his prosecution more difficult. It seemed as if he was on the way out. But the Israel-Hamas war changed everything, though the Israeli public are demanding to know when the hostages are coming home, and if the prime minister has any great interest in negotiating an end to hostilities.
On the tapes, Netanyahu makes an elaborate show of being bored, petulant, shruggingly unconcerned and occasionally indignant at the lese-majesty of this questioning. Yet he finally exerts a kind of fatherly charm over the officers, who shake his hand at the end; it is very different from the shrill rage of Sara and Yair when they are questioned. In fact, his behaviour on the tapes is not so very different from his usual demeanour: this media-savvy, telegenic politician knows how to relate to the camera. The film’s real power is in the accumulated testimony from others about the Netanyahus’ entitlement and paranoia.
Yet the videotapes do allege something startling: that Netanyahu had been following a pre-war realpolitik policy of “controlling the flames” by supporting Hamas to splinter Palestinian politics, to keep them distinct from Fatah. He quotes The Godfather: “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer still.” It’s a queasy note of cynicism.
• The Bibi Files is in UK and Irish cinemas and on digital platforms from 13 December.
