Benjamin Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing and insists he has no intention of resigning

Israel's attorney general has said he intends to indict prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges.

Mr Netanyahu is suspected of accepting gifts, including cigars and champagne, from wealthy businessmen and dispensing favours in return for favourable media coverage.

It is the first time a serving Israeli PM has been put on official notice of a planned prosecution.

He could face up to 10 years in jail if convicted of bribery and a maximum three-year term for fraud and breach of trust.

Police had recommended indicting the 69-year-old politician for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three different cases.

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Attorney general Avichai Mandelblit announced his decision after more than two years of investigations.

Image: Attorney general Avichai Mandelblit announced his decision after more than two years of investigations

The latest development comes just six weeks before a closely-fought election on 9 April, in which Mr Nethanyahu is seeking a fourth consecutive term in office.

The actual filing of charges will depend on the outcome of a hearing, which could take place after the contest.

At the hearing, the right-wing leader could try to persuade the attorney general not to indict him.

Mr Netanahu denies any wrongdoing and insists he has no intention of resigning.

He has called the allegations a media-orchestrated witchhunt aimed at removing him from office.

And his Likud party has described the looming indictment as "political persecution". </s> JERUSALEM (AP) - The Latest on decision to indict Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges (all times local):

Israel's attorney general says he has decided to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a series of corruption charges.

Avichai Mandelblit said Thursday he has accepted the police recommendations to file charges against Netanyahu in three different cases, pending a final hearing.

In a Justice Ministry statement, Mandelblit says he plans to charge Netanyahu with bribery for promoting regulatory changes worth hundreds of millions of dollars to telecom giant Bezeq in return for positive press coverage in Bezeq's popular subsidiary news site Walla.

He will also charge Netanyahu with fraud and breach of trust in two other cases. The first involves accepting gifts from billionaire friends and the second revolves around alleged offers of advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in return for favorable coverage.

Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing. He called a press conference for Thursday evening.

Israel is awaiting the attorney general's decision on whether to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a series of corruption allegations.

Avichai Mandelblit is expected to announce his decision on Thursday, after more than two years of intense investigations and deliberations.

An indictment would mark the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has been charged.

Police have recommended indicting Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three different cases. Mandelblit is expected to inform Netanyahu's lawyers he intends to press charges pending a final hearing for the suspect.

Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing and calls the allegations a media-orchestrated witch hunt aimed at removing him from office. He has vowed to carry on and is deadlocked in the polls ahead of the Apr.9 national elections. </s> JERUSALEM — Israel is awaiting the attorney general’s decision on whether to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a series of corruption allegations.

Avichai Mandelblit is expected to announce his decision on Thursday, after more than two years of intense investigations and deliberations.

An indictment would mark the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has been charged.

Police have recommended indicting Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three different cases. Mandelblit is expected to inform Netanyahu’s lawyers he intends to press charges pending a final hearing for the suspect.

Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing and calls the allegations a media-orchestrated witch hunt aimed at removing him from office. He has vowed to carry on and is deadlocked in the polls ahead of the Apr.9 national elections. </s> Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz opens his first town hall event with a call that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resign due to potential criminal charges against him, which Attorney General Avichai Mandeblit said earlier today could be filed as early as July.

“The announcement of the attorney general of such a short hearing process is no small matter,” he tells some 500 supporters in the southern city of Beersheba.

“We cannot be left with a part-time prime minister.”

In a statement from the Justice Ministry, Mandelblit announced that pre-indictment hearings in the three cases against Netanyahu will be completed no later than three months after the documents are released to prosecutors overseeing the hearings on April 10.

Charging that Netanyahu will have to spend a significant amount of his time fighting the charges in court, Gantz says, “the right thing to do would be if he resigned and showed that the State of Israel came before everything else…If you care about this country, take responsibility for its citizens and stop dealing only with yourself.”

Mandelblit announced last month he intended to indict Netanyahu pending a hearing in three separate criminal cases for fraud, bribery and breach of trust, six weeks ahead of national elections.

“On the prime minister’s agenda is bribery, fraud and breach of trust. His agenda is Netanyahu before everything else. Our agenda is Israel before everything else,” Gantz says to the cheers of the crowd.

Attacking Netnayhu’s claims of a conspiracy and witch hunt against him, Gantz addresses the prime minister: “You have brought all of this on yourself. This was not the work of the head of the police you appointed, nor the head of the state prosecution who you appointed, nor the attorney general who you appointed. None of them. It’s only you.”

— Raoul Wootliff </s> TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed he would be vindicated Tuesday moments after police recommended that he be indicted on charges of corruption and bribery.

"This will end in nothing," a defiant Netanyahu declared after police made the announcement.

A police spokesman, however, said their case against the longtime Israeli leader is solid and based on — among other things — interviews with some 80 witnesses.

They charge that from 2007 to 2016 Netanyahu and his family received cigars, champagne and jewelry worth "hundreds of thousands of shekels" from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and other supporters.

In return, Netanyahu pushed for the so-called Milchan Law, which ensures that Israelis who return to live in Israel from abroad are exempt from paying taxes for 10 years.

"The findings of the investigation revealed that the relationship between the prime minister and Mr. Milchan was a bribery relationship that amounted to a criminal offense and not an innocent relationship between friends," the police spokesman said.

"Bibi," as he is known, is also accused of working out a deal for favorable coverage with Arnon "Noni" Moses, the publisher of an Israeli newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, in exchange for backing a bill that would weaken a rival newspaper.

Now that police have made the recommendation, the decision on whether to indict Netanyahu rests ultimately with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. Both Milchan and Moses also face possible bribery charges, the police spokesman said.

Mandelblit, 54, is Netanyahu's former cabinet secretary and has already rebuffed calls to recuse himself from this case.

While no stranger to scandal, this is the first time Netanyahu faces the possibility of being formally charged with a crime. But it could be a year before that happens.

First, the police recommendations have to be vetted by a tax attorney in the AG's office, a process that could take about three months. That lawyer's conclusions then go to State Attorney Shai Nitzan for a review, which takes about a month. Nitzan will then hand the case off to Mandelblit, whose review is likely to take another three months.

If Mandelblit decides to indict Netanyahu, he would be required to appear at a closed hearing sometime around February 2019.

The police recommendations came more than a year after Israeli news media first reported thatNetanyahu had been grilled by police investigators for more than three hours at his official residence on suspicion of receiving illicit gifts and favors from wealthy donors.

In a televised speech on Tuesday, Netanyahu once again called the charges "baseless," and said, "I'll continue to lead Israel responsibly as long as the people of Israel elect me."

Taking a page from his ally President Donald Trump, Netanyahu also went on the attack against the investigators.

"The police is infected with hallucinated allegations, the police can’t be objective," he said. "I’m sure that the attorneys will find that nothing i did was incorrect."

But a former Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, said Netanyahu should consider stepping down.

"These are difficult and sad times," Barak said on social media. "The picture emerging from the police recommendation is chilling. The depth of corruption is staggering."

"Netanyahu should declare himself incapacitated tomorrow morning, and the Likud party needs to decide who will replace him," Barak added.

Netanyahu, 68, who is serving his third consecutive term as prime minister and his fourth overall, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. He even leveled a public broadside last week against Israeli Police Chief Roni Alsheikh, who is leading the investigation.

After Alsheikh told Israeli television that "powerful figures" had hired people to "sniff around" the detectives working on the Netanyahu case, the prime minister accused him of saying "delusional things."

Earlier, after Netanyahu was questioned by police, he tweeted, "There won't be anything because there is nothing." He also decried "years of daily persecution against me and my family."

But Netanyahu and his family's luxurious lifestyle — often at taxpayers’ expense — has come under scrutiny before.

Five years ago, Netanyahu was criticized for reportedly spending $127,000 in public funds for a special sleeping cabin for a five-and-a-half hour flight to London for Margaret Thatcher's funeral. That came just months after the Netanyahu family's taxpayer-funded food budget included $2,700 for artisanal pistachio and French vanilla ice cream.

Goldman reported from Tel Aviv, Siemaszko reported from New York </s> Israel’s attorney general announced Thursday that he intends to indict Benjamin Netanyahu in a series of corruption allegations – the first time a sitting prime minister in the Jewish state faces criminal charges.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit informed Netanyahu’s lawyers that he intends to indict the prime minister on charges including bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three different cases.

The actual filing will depend on the outcome of a hearing in which Netanyahu, who is seeking a fourth term, can try to persuade the AG not to indict him. The hearing is expected to take place after the April 9 elections.

A defiant Netanyahu – who has been prime minister since 2009 and served a previous term between 1996 and 1999 – has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and called the allegations a media-orchestrated witch hunt aimed at kicking him from office.

He remains deadlocked in the polls, 40 days before Israelis go to vote.

Mandelblit announcement came shortly after Netanyahu’s Likud party petitioned the High Court of Justice to have it delayed until after the elections.

Avi Halevy, the ruling party’s chief legal adviser, said that allowing Mandelblit to publicize his decision so close to the elections would be an “unprecedented interference” in the democratic process, according to the Times of Israel.

But the court shot down the petition.

The Justice Ministry said there was no legal cause for a delay, saying that the attorney general had always planned to announce his decision “as soon as he had completed the work on the cases.”

The Likud party released a pre-emptive video Thursday in which it slammed the AG’s expected announcement as “an attempted political hit job.”

The clip repeated many of Netanyahu’s talking points against the corruption probes, calling them a “house of cards” that will collapse during the hearing process.

Despite opposition calls for Netanyahu to step down, Likud and his other nationalist coalition partners have supported him — all but ruling out sitting in a government led by his primary opponent, Benny Gantz, the retired chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces.

Mandelblit’s decision could either galvanize Netanyahu’s hard-line supporters who consider him as a victim of an overzealous prosecution or turn more moderate backers against him because of persistent accusations of corruption and hedonism.

While Israeli prime ministers are not required by law to resign if charged, the prospect of a prime minister facing a criminal trial while running the country would be unchartered territory.

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert served time in the slammer for corruption, but had already resigned by the time he was charged.

President Trump, with whom Netanyahu has forged a close relationship, offered the Israeli leader a vote of confidence in the hours leading up to the announcement.

“I just think he’s been a great prime minister and I don’t know about his difficulty but you tell me something people have been hearing about, but I don’t know about that,” Trump said in response to a question in Hanoi, where he was holding a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“I can say this: that he’s done a great job as prime minister. He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s strong,” he said.

Netanyahu rushed back to Israel on Wednesday from a diplomatic mission to Moscow, where he met President Vladimir Putin, to prepare for his expected rebuttal to the charges.

In the so-called “Case 1000,” he is accused of accepting bribes in connection with gifts worth $300,000 from business executives.

In Case 2000, Netanyahu allegedly agreed to promote a bill to restrict the circulation of the Yedioth Ahronoth daily’s main competitor, Israel Hayom, in exchange for favorable coverage.

And in Case 4000, he allegedly influenced regulatory decisions that netted hundreds of millions of dollars for the Bezeq telecom company in exchange for positive coverage on its subsidiary news site Walla.

The most serious allegations involve his “bribe-based relationship” with Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of the telecom giant.

Police recommended an indictment based on evidence collected that Netanyahu’s confidants promoted regulatory changes worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq.

Officials say they believe there is enough evidence to charge Netanyahu and his wife Sara with accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust.

They also recommended charges be brought against Elovitch, members of his family and members of his Bezeq management team.

Former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz has come to Netanyahu’s defense, publishing an open letter to Mandelblit in which he warned that an indictment against the prime minister ahead of elections would undermine the democratic process.

“I’m very worried for freedom of the press and freedom of government in Israel if they start indicting people for trying to get good coverage from the media,” he told Israel’s Army Radio.

“I don’t know of any other country that has criminalized trying to get good coverage and make that a basis of bribery or any other corruption investigation.” </s> JERUSALEM – Israel’s attorney general was expected to deliver a much-anticipated decision Thursday on whether to indict Benjamin Netanyahu on a series of corruption allegations, a momentous move that looks to shake up Israel’s election campaign and potentially spell the end of the prime minister’s illustrious political career.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit’s aides said he was prepared to announce his decision after more than two years of intense investigations and deliberations. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.

Police have recommended indicting Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three different cases. Mandelblit is expected to inform Netanyahu’s lawyers he intends to indict pending a final hearing, though the exact charges are not yet clear. The hearing is expected to take place after the April 9 elections.

An indictment would mark the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has been charged with a crime. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert served time in prison for corruption, but had already resigned by the time he was charged.

Netanyahu doesn’t look to go that quietly. He denies any wrongdoing and calls the various allegations a media-orchestrated witch hunt aimed at removing him from office. He has vowed to carry on and is deadlocked in the polls, 40 days before Israelis go to vote.

In a last-ditch effort to prevent the public release of an indictment, Netanyahu’s Likud party petitioned the Supreme Court to have it delayed until after the elections. But the court rejected the request Thursday afternoon, potentially clearing the way for an announcement from the attorney general.

Despite opposition calls for Netanyahu to step down, Likud and his other nationalist coalition partners have lined up behind him thus far, all but ruling out sitting in a government led by his primary opponent, retired military chief Benny Gantz.

While Israeli prime ministers are not required by law to resign if charged, the prospect of a prime minister standing trial while simultaneously running the country would be unchartered territory.

Mandelblit’s decision could either galvanize Netanyahu’s hard-line supporters who see him as a victim of an overzealous prosecution or turn more moderate backers against him who have tired of his lengthy rule tainted by long-standing accusations of corruption and hedonism.

Either way, the upcoming elections appear to be morphing into a referendum on Netanyahu as he seeks to become the longest serving premier in Israeli history. Netanyahu have been prime minister since 2009 and served a previous term between 1996 and 1999.

President Donald Trump, with whom Netanyahu has forged a close connection, offered the Israeli leader a boost ahead of the expected announcement.

“I just think he’s been a great prime minister and I don’t know about his difficulty but you tell me something people have been hearing about, but I don’t know about that,” he said in response to a question in Hanoi, where he was holding a summit with the leader of North Korea.

“I can say this: that he’s done a great job as prime minister. He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s strong,” Trump said.

Netanyahu rushed back Wednesday from a diplomatic mission to Moscow, and a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, to prepare for his expected rebuttal to the charges on Thursday.

The most serious allegations against Netanyahu involve his relationship with Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israel’s telecom giant Bezeq. Police recommended an indictment in the case based on evidence collected that confidants of Netanyahu promoted regulatory changes worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq. In exchange, they believe Netanyahu used his connections with Elovitch to receive positive press coverage on Bezeq’s popular subsidiary news site Walla. Police have said their investigation concluded that Netanyahu and Elovitch engaged in a “bribe-based relationship.”

Police say they believe there is sufficient evidence to charge Netanyahu and his wife Sara with accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust. They also recommended charges be brought against Elovitch, members of his family and members of his Bezeq management team.

Police have previously recommended indicting Netanyahu on corruption charges in two other cases. One involves accepting gifts from billionaire friends, and the second revolves around alleged offers of advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in return for favorable coverage.

Alan Dershowitz, a prominent American lawyer, has come to Netanyahu’s defense, publishing an open letter to Mandelblit in which he warns that an indictment against the prime minister ahead of elections would undermine the democratic process.

“I’m very worried for freedom of the press and freedom of government in Israel if they start indicting people for trying to get good coverage from the media,” he told Israel’s Army Radio. “I don’t know of any other country that has criminalized trying to get good coverage and make that a basis of bribery or any other corruption investigation.” </s> Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called corruption allegations a "witch hunt" meant to topple him after the attorney general announced plans to indict him.

Speaking in a televised statement a couple of hours after the attorney general's announcement, Netanyahu said he planned on being prime minister for a long time to come despite the allegations.

"The left knows it cannot beat us at the polling booth, so for the past three years they have been carrying out an unprecedented witch hunt which has one aim: to topple the right-wing government which I lead," he said.

In the statement from his official residence that lasted about 20 minutes, Netanyahu's voice seemed to break with emotion as he spoke of his family, which he said had been smeared by the investigations.

Standing before a campaign banner reading "Netanyahu Strong Right", he mentioned his relationships with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as being good for Israel.

He alleged his political opponents "applied unceasing and inhuman pressure on the AG so that he would say that he is considering laying charges against me, subject to a hearing, even though it is clear that there is no substance".

"The main thing was to influence the elections, even if we know that this house of cards will completely collapse after the elections," Netanyahu said.

The attorney general's announcement comes ahead of April 9 elections in which Netanyahu is facing a tough challenge from a centrist political alliance led by a former military chief of staff, Benny Gantz.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said in a statement earlier Thursday that he intended to indict the premier for bribery, fraud and breach of trust pending a hearing, where Netanyahu would be given a chance to defend himself before charges are filed. </s> Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu is set to be indicted on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges, just six weeks ahead of April’s general election, a decision that could severely his chances to secure a fifth term in office, the Guardian and other outlets are reporting.

Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit’s long-awaited decision is expected to materialize on Thursday, pending a hearing, according to a source with direct information about the Mandelblit’s decision, reports CNN. The charges arise from three separate corruption cases.

As per Israeli law, Netanyahu has the right to defend himself in a pre-trial hearing before charges are formally filed in court, according to the Guardian report, though it is unclear whether that process will begin before the election of April 9. However, the weight of the announcement throws serious doubt over Netanyahu’s political future, the report notes.

The prime minister has previously pledged not to resign if indictments were brought forth, which suggests Netanyahu’s coalition partners will likely have to decide whether to support a leader who is headed for indictment, or withdraw their support and risk alienating their shared right-wing voter base, CNN argues. At the same time, Netanyahu’s opponents will likely look to exploit this heightened sense of damage to the prime minister’s reputation, the report further argues.

Netanyahu, who is the country’s second-longest serving premier, is not required to step down if indicted under Israeli law, CNN points out. He is required to resign only if he is convicted on the alleged crimes and if that conviction is upheld through the appeals process, which generally takes years.

Netanyahu has repeatedly and vehemently denied any wrongdoing, including on Wednesday evening when a statement was released on his behalf, following a day of heightened speculation in Israeli news media. In the statement, the prime dismissed the prospect of a possible bribery charge as “ridiculous.”

According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu has contended he is the victim of a witch hunt brought forth by the left-wing opposition with the support of the left-wing media and a biased police force. As per the report, Mandelblit was appointed by Netanyahu himself, though the prime minister now calls the attorney general “weak” for caving into the left’s pressure.

If Netanyahu is indeed indicted, it would mark the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has been charged with a crime, according to The Los Angeles Times.

When asked about Netanyahu’s forthcoming indictment, Trump said he doesn’t know about any of it, Vox reporter Aaron Rupar tweeted early Thursday.
The Attorney General of Israel Avichai Mandelblit says that after more than two years of investigations he has decided to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.