There are few politicians of the last century more politically resilient than Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu. From his rise as a well-spoken ambassador with a commanding use of both English and Hebrew, to his time as the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israeli history, he for decades has been at the center of the political sphere of the Middle East. His stridency is renowned, as is his slippery ability to twist tragedy to personal advantage, building coalition after coalition by often thin margins to hold onto power. Yet it wasn’t the most spectacular failure of his nation’s security that came closest to bringing him down, but instead something as seemingly trivial as the corrupt receiving of gifts from a legendary Hollywood mogul.

What is ‘The Bibi Files’ About?
Let’s be upfront about what Alexis Bloom’s film The Bibi Files is and isn’t. First, this is not a panacea for those calling for peace. For Israelis, almost nothing here from these 2018 interviews will be revelatory, and the film isn’t some magical pill that will immediately cause him to be forced out of office, despite the thousands protesting on the streets this very day for that to occur. Much of the material, leaked to producer Alex Gibney by an unnamed source, has already been read in text form by the public, and the thought that Bibi is corrupt is hardly a new thing for those opposed to his policies as well as his person. Indeed, seeing Bibi, his wife, his sons and others raging against the investigation rather than simply perusing transcripts is a more powerful medium, but it’s not as if this will suddenly sway minds.

Nor, unfortunately, will anything covered in this film likely have any effect whatsoever on those actively calling for the eradication of the State of Israel, believing that any action by any Israeli is, by definition, one of suspicion or worthy of condemnation. This increasingly vocal group, going beyond protests against participants in the government, is instead advocating for a complete dissolution of the Nation, as some have claimed, regardless of who is in charge. One can hope for nuance, but it’s a challenge when the rhetoric is as inflammatory on the subject as it has been for decades, a victory of sorts for those who thrive on such confrontations to buttress their own positions. Obviously, for those many supporters in Israel, a decreasing number but still a significant bloc, they’ll see another hit piece from some liberal filmmakers doing the work that benefits terrorists and besmirches the current wartime leader of a proud nation.

So who is the audience for this film that will learn from what’s presented, and benefit from his arguments? For one, it’s for those many who may have a rough idea of the chaos and corruption that has plagued Israeli politics for some time, but may not have had all the details laid out in such a compelling way. At a time when simple slogans or hashtags erase any sense of nuance about the complexity of the situation in the region, the film does one particularly important thing – Israelis are not a monolith, Netanyahu and those in his coalition do not speak for the majority of the people of that country, and there are many, including those who participate in the film, that are loudly speaking out against a clear pattern that demands a proper investigation.

The Bibi Files serves as a testament that there are voices – millions of voices, in fact, both in and outside Israel – that call for an end to Bibi and his coalition that tie directly the horrific events of October 7, 2023, to the policies of the current administration, and say unequivocally that the war is being perpetuated not for the greater security of a people, but to inflict suffering for ideological reasons, and to avoid being held accountable for some pretty clear indications of bribery and corruption.

One major voice in the film is Raviv Drucker, the investigative journalist who has spent decades uncovering many of the most shocking behaviors that occur within the Israeli political sphere. Along with close colleagues of Bibi, including his former personal spokesperson Nir Hefetz, we are treated to probing talking-head style interviews that outline the context of the footage that Gibney received from his source. That footage, as presented here, is certainly damning. Bibi comes across as a mix of coldly calculating and filled with fiery rage, slamming the table in anger at certain suggestions, and claiming complete amnesia about certain events at others, with the mantras “I don’t know” or “I can’t recall” constantly intoned. It’s inarguable that he’s an exceptional politician, which accounts for his preternatural awareness even during moments of stress that a camera is recording his every word. It’s not simply performative when he rages, but that’s certainly part of what’s at play, and only when seeing the actual footage can this be fully appreciated.

A Hollywood Mogul’s Connection to Bibi’s Alleged Corruption
Image via TIFF

While Bibi is certainly well known on the world’s stage, his wife Sara, and their son Yair, are two individuals far less known outside of Israel. Sara’s a fascinating character, shown here in almost comically villainous ways, a Lady Macbeth manipulating a fearful husband with her constant drunkenness, and demands fancy champagne and jewels from those wanting political favors from her husband. Yair makes his father look positively progressive, his strident right-wing rhetoric and more savvy adoption of modern media makes his own mark on his father’s policies.

Adding even more intrigue are those asking for favors and admitting directly as part of the interviews the pressure they felt to comply with these requests. The first, Arnon Milchan, is the Israeli-born billionaire and Oscar-winning producer behind such beloved films as 12 Years A Slave, Birdman, Heat, Fight Club, and L.A. Confidential. We hear of Milchan’s direct ties to Netanyahu’s requests for luxury items from him directly, while others fill in the backstory regarding the need to intervene about a tax case, for Bibi to formally request the U.S. to rethink a position on visa requirements. There are even some unverified but often repeated insinuations about his former life as a James Bond-like character who apparently helped with the undertaking of Israel’s secret nuclear capabilities.

Others well-known to American audiences will include the Adelsons, Miriam, and the late Sheldon, owners of the Casino magnate Sands Corporation, who are tied to the Trump and Netanyahu administrations. Then there are those more closely tied to Bibi’s inner circle, including Hefetz, whose own testimony is further contextualized by these contemporary follow-up interviews. In form, The Bibi Files plays as a journalistically rich investigation of the material and its background, but it does so at times with a slightly heavy-handed effect. The score is occasionally overwhelming, and while some of the more clever edits that punctuate positions are effective, others feel like they get in the way of the simple facts of the matter being discussed. An actor is employed to “perform” the words of one witness because of the vagaries of Israeli privacy laws, and the effect feels tonally too far apart from the other participants, and another mode would likely have been more effective.

What does work well is the weaving of the multiple storylines into a coherent whole. This includes footage from the streets of Israel with mass protests against Supreme Court reforms that many believe Bibi was pushing to make the case against him go away for good, to POV camera footage recorded by the terrorists themselves on October 7th, 2023, a stark reminder for some that may have closed themselves off these horrifying images of what transpired that day. At the same time, footage of the ravaging of Gaza is included. The suffering of those at the hands of an administration that shows no signs of abating is yet another direct link to the leader and his policies, given the documentation showing the facilitation of funds to Hamas in order, alleged by the participants in the film, to keep the Palestinian state from becoming a reality by fueling those in the region least committed to any kind of mutual compromise.

For those who believe that Bibi and his family will never be brought to justice for these corrupt actions, the film may prove to be somewhat cathartic, while others may correctly point out that the film (and the leaks that provide much of its content) may, in the end, be detrimental to any subsequent legal action. Yet as the film and its participants eloquently argue, beyond the trivialities of requesting cigars, wine, and jewels, easily dismissed in isolation as minor foibles of the rich and powerful, it lays a direct line to the current calamity befalling the entire region. Following this investigation was the move to try and rip apart political and legal norms, to encourage Bibi to become bedfellows with the most extreme and egregious members of the Israeli political class, and to trade the safety and security of an entire nation due to this day to prevent further deterioration of that which is shown he and his family hold most dear – power.

‘The Bibi Files’ Is a Powerful Presentation of the Facts of the Case Against Netanyahu
The Bibi Files may not be the poison pill that knocks the Netanyahus from power the way that those on screen may be calling for, but it’s still a powerful presentation of the facts without ever devolving into being a mere polemic. Beyond the voices of those directly tied to the administration or the media that try to hold them to account, we hear from a young woman, a resident of the Be’eri Kibbutz located near the border with Gaza and a survivor of that brutal attack. She provides the clearest articulation of well-earned outrage, but her words also provide the greatest hope for a positive future. She makes a call for truthtelling and a push for reconciliation. It’s through her voice, and those captured throughout, that it makes a compelling case for a hopeful future.

The issue is not simply about what’s contained within the interviews that The Bibi Files bring to international light, but speaking to timely, direct action, from the aching desire to bring the hostages home, to calls for a ceasefire in the region. Above all, the film is a platform for those calling within Israel to be rid of this reactionary administration and to find a way forward despite all the obvious ways, in these bleakest of moments, to find a way forward after all that has occurred.