2LT International News

TEL AVIV, Israel – Troubles mounted for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara on Sunday, after authorities investigating the duo over allegations of fraud and bribery, recommending indicting them. 

The Israeli police and the Israel Securities Authorities said in a statement on Sunday that there was sufficient evidence for bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges to be brought against Netanyahu and his wife. 

The recommendation to indict the Israeli leader was made by authorities in the country as part of the third corruption case against Netanyahu, who stands to face one of the biggest challenges to his political survival till date, if indicted. 

The 69-year-old Prime Minister, who has dominated Israeli politics for four terms now, recently faced a precarious situation after the majority of his right-wing coalition was reduced to just one seat in parliament. 

Now, following the recommendation by the police, all eyes are on Israel’s Attorney-General, who would make the final decision on whether to indict Netanyahu.

The Attorney-General is also set to decide on whether to charge the Israeli Prime Minister in the two other cases he is facing. 

Seeking favours

In the first case, Netanyahu faces allegations of seeking positive coverage from the publisher of an Israeli newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, in exchange for help in reining in a rival publication.

Netanyahu is also facing a second case involving suspicions that he received gifts worth at least $270,000 (1 million shekels) from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and other supporters.

Earlier this year, a report in The Jerusalem Post alleged that Netanyahu received expensive gifts like champagne and cigars, in exchange for offering Milchan his assistance in securing a U.S. visa.

Over the last two years, the Israeli media has reported several times on Netanyahu facing questioning by investigators in relation to the two cases. 

In February this year, the Israeli police recommended indicting Netanyahu in two corruption investigations.  

However, each time, Netanyahu has dismissed all the allegations as “baseless,” and has expressed confidence that amy of the allegations would trigger early elections. 

With the next national election due in November 2019, Netanyahu’s coalition partners are now awaiting a decision by the Attorney-General before reacting to any of the allegations. 

In the third case, dubbed Case 4,000, Netanyahu and his wife are suspected of interfering in a regulatory decision that favoured the country’s leading telecom firm called Bezeq Telecom Israel and its majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch, in exchange for positive media coverage on the news website, owned by Bezeq called Walla!

Authorities said in their statement, “The main suspicion is that the prime minister took bribes and acted out of a conflict of interest by intervening and making regulatory decisions that favour Shaul Elovitch and Bezeq.” 

They alleged that Netanyahu sought to interfere with the content of Bezeq’s Walla website “in a way that would benefit him.”

On Sunday, while citing evidence to indict Netanyahu and Sara, the Israeli police also claimed that there was sufficient evidence to indict the Bezeq shareholder and a family friend of Netanyahu, Elovitch, with bribery.

Further, authorities said in their statement that there was also evidence to charge the company’s then-CEO Stella Handler with fraud.

However, responding to the recommendations made by the police, Netanyahu took to Twitter to defend himself and deny the allegations.

The Israeli PM tweeted, “The police recommendations regarding me and my wife don’t surprise anyone, nor does the transparent timing of their publication. These recommendations were determined and leaked even before the investigations began. Police recommendations have no legal standing.”

He added, “Just recently the relevant authorities rejected outright police recommendations against a series of public officials. I’m sure that in this case as well, the relevant authorities, after checking the matter, will reach the same conclusion — that there isn’t anything because nothing happened.”

In separate statements, Elovitch and Handler – who resigned from Bezeq earlier this year after being detained for a short duration – have denied wrongdoing too.

‘Burden on Israel’

However, later in the day, Israeli opposition leaders seized on the police recommendation in the bribery case, to call on Netanyahu to resign. 

Avi Gabbay of the Zionist Union Party tweeted on Sunday, “A prime minister with so many corruption cases around him can’t continue in his position and must resign. A man driven by a sick obsession about what they say about him in the media can’t lead the State of Israel. And every additional day in his role does damage to the citizens of Israel.”

Further, Tzipi Livni from the Zionist Union Party wrote on Twitter, “Bribery! Israeli police recommend an indictment on bribery against the prime minister. Netanyahu needs to go home before he destroys law enforcement in order to save his own skin. The nation of Israel deserve clean leadership. Elections now!”

Meanwhile, the Zionist Union faction chairman Yoel Hasson called for immediate elections and for the government to be disbanded.

Hasson tweeted, “Netanyahu, your time is up. Israel must hold elections, not in November [as scheduled] nor in May, but immediately. Benjamin Netanyahu, who is neck-deep in investigations and suspicions, must resign today and not even run in the upcoming elections.”

Further, Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid called on the ruling Likud party to remove Netanyahu until new elections could be held.

Lapid issued a statement saying, “This is a sad day, sad for all Israeli citizens… as well as for all those who have known Netanyahu for dozens of years like myself and others, and saw the process of corruption caused by too many years in power.”

The leader of the opposition party said that Israel “deserves more” and recommended that “Likud needs to choose someone else from its ranks who will lead the country to elections that will come soon.”

Meanwhile, leader of the left-wing Meretz party Tamar Zandberg too called on Netanyahu to step down.

Zandberg issued a statement saying, “A third bribery recommendation leaves no room for doubt. A prime minister suspected of the most grave offense in the Israeli lawbook for public officials cannot sit another single day on his seat. Netanyahu should resign today and Israel should go to elections immediately.”

However, the Prime Minister also received some support, with the Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel issuing a statement saying, “I’ve known the prime minister for 20 years. He isn’t corrupt and the only thing guiding him is the benefit of the state. I’m sure the attorney general won’t accept [the recommendation].”

Meanwhile, some other members of the ruling party alleged that the outgoing Israeli police commissioner Roni Alsheich leaked information to the press and was conducting a “witch hunt” against Netanyahu and his family.