On Jan. 31, Israeli opposition leader and Knesset member Isaac Herzog took to Facebook to celebrate the High Court of Justice’s decision ordering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to explain why he refuses to relinquish the communications portfolio. The court's action was in response to a petition filed by Herzog. In the complaint, Herzog argued that after the police investigation of Netanyahu in Case 2000, which concerns an alleged deal between Netanyahu and Israeli media tycoon Arnon Mozes, exposed what appeared to be a conflict of interest involving the Israeli media market, the prime minister should not continue to hold the position. The court is expected to decide on the matter in March, after receiving the prime minister’s response.
In the meantime, it is hard to ignore Herzog's self-praise even before the justices’ decision. Judging by his Facebook post, it was important to him that he make clear that he himself filed the petition and that the “High Court in an unusual step issued a conditional order that directs the prime minister and the attorney general to explain why they won’t respond to the petition.” Going a step further, Herzog and his people maneuvered to spread word of the court’s decision to the television news channels for prime time.
