I've read some very interesting papers on why collusive cliques based around concealing a shared crime or proclivity tend to out-compete others.

Game theory suggests these have much greater internal cohesion and trust in one another, due to the kompromat they implicitly hold over one another. Cliques without mutual blackmail have weaker ties.

There may well be something in it - it certainly correctly predicted the decline of "Lavender Mafia" cliques within the Catholic Church with increasing community tolerance for homosexuality.

And Waffen-SS units with a shared history of sickening crimes often fought harder and longer than Wehrmacht units without this.

But otherwise it is difficult to find evidence of something secret by definition.

I do believe Netanyahu's public statements about there no longer being war crimes is an effort to create the world's largest and least-elite mutual-blackmail clique. It shows a certain desperation.