Israeli attorney-general plans to charge Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu is suspected of wrongfully accepting $264,000-worth of gifts, which prosecutors said included cigars and champagne, from tycoons
Jerusalem — Israel’s attorney-general announced on Thursday that he intends to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges, a decision that comes just six weeks before a closely contested national election. It is the first time a serving Israeli prime minister has been put on official notice of planned prosecution, and deepened uncertainty over how Netanyahu, a veteran right-wing leader, will fare against a coalition of upstart centrist rivals. An actual filing of the charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust will depend on the outcome of a required hearing, the justice ministry said. That could take months to complete. At that hearing — which could take place after the April 9 election — Netanyahu can try to persuade the attorney-general, Avichai Mandelblit, not to indict him. His voice brimming with indignation as he addressed the nation during prime-time TV news, Netanyahu dismissed the three criminal cases as a political “witch hunt” designed to oust him. ...
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