Netanyahu questioned as possible suspect in a third corruption case

JERUSALEM — Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was questioned by police Friday as a possible suspect in a third bribery case, the weightiest so far in a string of corruption investigations that are jeopardizing his political future.

Officers questioned Netanyahu about a case involving Shaul Elovitch, an Israeli telecommunications tycoon accused of using his popular Hebrew news site to provide positive coverage of Netanyahu and his wife in return for regulatory and financial benefits worth tens of millions of dollars.

Last month, police recommended Netanyahu be charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in two other graft cases involving allegations of illicit gifts for favors and another attempt to obtain more favorable coverage.

Those cases are now being examined by state prosecutors and the attorney general, who will ultimately decide whether to file charges pending a hearing with Netanyahu’s lawyers. The process could take months.

The latest twist in a spiraling corruption scandal comes on the eve of Netanyahu’s departure for Washington, where he is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump and address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy conference.

Netanyahu has made a point of maintaining a high-profile presence on the world stage, traveling in recent weeks to India, where he was treated like royalty; to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland; and to an international security conference in Munich.

Denying all wrongdoing, Netanyahu has been trying to project a business-as-usual approach despite his mounting legal troubles, aiming to burnish his credentials both at home and abroad as an international player.