"Benjamin Netanyahu's number one goal is to stay in power. And for that, he has not hesitated to ally himself with the same far-right that not long ago he refused to be photographed with. And, of course, he did not hesitate to propose the war in Gaza regardless of the Jewish hostages in the hands of Hamas. In fact, the release of the captives was never a priority for him... So it can be considered that, indeed, the war in his ideology has been nothing more than a distraction exercise, a brutal smokescreen." The statement from the other side of the Zoom comes from Alexis Bloom. She is the director of Netanyahu File, the documentary that Filmin is premiering this week and that can already be considered the most relevant of the year. The film's strategy is simple: let its protagonist speak. Nothing more. Between condescension and simple rudeness, the disdainful way of responding to the vast majority of police questions with a contemptuous "I don't remember" not only portrays the character ("An extraordinary actor") but also outlines the darkest dead-end alley to a conflict that suddenly seems too personal.
'Netanyahu File' (originally 'The Bibi Files', that is, 'The Bibi Archives', by the nickname by which the leader is known) organizes the unpublished material (previously leaked to the documentary filmmaker and producer Alex Gibney) around a meticulous account of Netayanhu's private and political life. Free of voice-overs guiding the narration, the idea is to show the protagonist in his most complete nakedness, with no intermediaries other than an oversized and boiling ego in front of the police camera. "In truth, the film has not been banned," clarifies the director. "There is simply a privacy law in Israel that does not allow the exhibition of interrogations without the permission of those interrogated. We were aware of the existence of the law and, truth be told, we never trusted that neither Netanyahu nor his wife would give us their consent. In any case, we know that the documentary is being watched in Israel... Furthermore, since I have no plans to travel to Israel in the coming days or months, I am at ease," adds Bloom.
The investigation that the Prime Minister, his wife Sara, his son Yair, and a large group of businessmen including Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan or gambling magnate Sheldon Adelson were subjected to follows a scandalous list of bribes ranging from briefcases of money to Cohiba cigars or unreal jewels both in appearance and price, through rivers of champagne. What remains is the almost indecent portrayal of a lifestyle that supposedly the Netanyahu family embraced light-years away from the proverbial and austere egalitarian ethos of the original kibbutz. The photogenic politician and owner of an effective and sharp discourse who forged his ambition after the death of his brother in the 1976 Entebbe events suddenly reveals himself as a messianic leader as despotic with those he openly considers his subordinates as convinced of his infallibility.
To understand the almost agonizing atmosphere in which the police investigation unfolds, the documentary goes back to 2019 when Netanyahu was on the brink of resignation. It is said that he decided to resist and, perhaps out of sheer survival instinct, changed his allies. His new partners became Bezalel Smotrich, an active supporter of anti-Palestinian terrorism, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the current Minister of National Security who previously unabashedly celebrated the murder of Isaac Rabin in front of the camera. We are indeed talking about the far-right. "It is clear that we are living in a very favorable time for snake oil salesmen, and Netanyahu quickly realized that this was a space he could exploit. He had contacts with people like Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch to create a Fox News Israel. It didn't work, so he chose to reconvert a very small channel, Heritage Channel... But to become aware of the ecosystem that has surrounded the family all these years, one example is enough: the first person Yair, the son, invited to his podcast was Bolsonaro's son," comments Bloom.
Netanyahu's favorite response during interrogations, as mentioned, is: "I don't remember." He repeats it over and over again to any question, no matter how simple or ridiculous it may seem. It seems that his intention is to humiliate the interlocutor. However, always calm, without showing or displaying a hint of anger. Simply, with a permissive gesture, perhaps friendly, he limits himself to making his position clear to the agents. Faced with recordings detailing his responsibility and even possible crimes (he provided $250 million in loans to Israeli tycoon Shaul Elovitch and, in return, gained editorial control of the political website for a predominantly young audience, Walla), Netanyahu authoritatively shouts: "That's absurd. It's a lie!" "In truth," Bloom continues, "he is too intelligent to show aggression. Whenever he seems to lose his temper, he accompanies the gesture with a smile. He is a perfect actor and knows he is performing for the camera. Only at the end, when fatigue appears, we see how the mask falls slightly." And so, in that almost fleeting moment, 'Netanyahu File' takes on the form and tone not so much of a film about world events but of a horror movie.
"In any case," the director concludes, "for me, the most important thing is to show the plurality of Israeli society. The image that Netanyahu wants to present of it, and that, in a way, mainstream media around the world reproduce, is that of a false uniformity. Just remember that the protests against the prime minister were massive, and many of his former collaborators have turned their backs on him. Israel is currently the most fractured society imaginable. There are all kinds of tribes ranging from the orthodox to technology gurus. And I believe that a filmmaker's job is to show that complexity." And she continues: "This film is not my story. It is not my interpretation of the facts. The film is told from an Israeli point of view. It is very important that Israelis tell their own story and that the world also realizes that Israel is not Netanyahu."