Ask A Genius 1336: Global Leadership Crisis: Netanyahu, Guterres, and the Erosion of Democratic Norms
Author(s): Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/04/06
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, Israel’s government sharply criticized United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres after he made remarks perceived as critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Israeli officials, including Ambassador Gilad Erdan, said Guterres should resign. While there was strong rhetoric—including declaring him “persona non grata”—this was not a formal diplomatic designation in the legal sense. Comments?
Rick Rosner: Wait—did they say that?
Jacobsen: Yes, it was widely reported. The language used was extreme, though not a formal declaration under international law.
Rosner: Yeah. I mean, Netanyahu is, in my view, a deeply controversial figure. I hesitate to say he is entirely bad because I do not know every detail, but everything I do know points to corruption allegations, authoritarian tendencies, and a history of supporting policies criticized for contributing to systemic human rights abuses.
Many observers consider him a corrupt politician, facing multiple criminal indictments, who has partnered with far-right political factions to retain power. He has also been accused—by organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International—of overseeing or facilitating policies in the occupied Palestinian territories that they have described as apartheid or even potential war crimes.
Jacobsen: It is tragic. After everything the Jewish people endured during the Holocaust, many of Israel’s current policies appear to betray the moral imperatives drawn from that history. Netanyahu, specifically, seems to be perpetuating a cycle of violence and inequality—often interpreted as serving his political interests.
Rosner: Am I wrong to think he is essentially a white-collar criminal trying to escape prosecution by remaining in power?
Jacobsen: That is a widely held view. Netanyahu has been indicted on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges. Critics argue that remaining Prime Minister has helped him delay or avoid legal proceedings and potential conviction.
Rosner: We are in a bleak era—especially regarding leadership in democratic countries. Over the past century, we have seen awful leadership in underreported regions. However, deeply flawed individuals are now leading globally prominent democracies—countries like the U.S., the U.K., and Israel.
Jacobsen: And coverage in the West of authoritarian abuses elsewhere—such as those against Tibetans or Uyghurs in China—is often limited. It is not that the atrocities are absent; geopolitical narratives and selective media focus just frequently overshadow them.
Rosner: What is new now is how brazen some leaders are. It feels like we are in a new era of openly corrupt or anti-democratic leadership at the top of significant democracies—arguably the most widespread leadership crisis in the West since World War II.
Jacobsen: And for the first time in U.S. history, a former president—Donald Trump—has been indicted on multiple criminal charges after years of attacking democratic norms and institutions. Some have compared his tactics to Netanyahu’s: using office to delay accountability.
Rosner: That is what you were pointing to, right? Leaders who use political power as a shield from legal consequences, bending democratic systems to retain control.
Jacobsen: Exactly. However, despite the challenges, some developments suggest international law still holds weight.
Rosner: Like what?
Jacobsen: In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging war crimes related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. While enforcement is another issue, the move was symbolic and significant.
Rosner: That is meaningful. It shows that even leaders of powerful, nuclear-armed states are not entirely beyond the reach of international justice—at least symbolically.
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