The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Netanyahu charged weeks before election
Israel’s attorney general announced his plans Thursday to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, imperiling Netanyahu’s political future just 40 days before he is to stand for re-election.
What it means
The announcement by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit was the culmination of a two-year investigation into Netanyahu’s dealings with wealthy businessmen, including a Hollywood movie producer, Israeli newspaper publishers and the head of the country’s largest telecommunications conglomerate.
Netanyahu, who is running for his fourth consecutive term as prime minister, is entitled to a hearing to challenge the charges. If the case proceeds, he would be the first sitting prime minister to be indicted.
Police accused Netanyahu, 69, of trading lucrative official favors for gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars including cigars, champagne and jewelry, and for flattering news coverage whose value was incalculable.
Why it matters
Netanyahu, who held office for three years in the late 1990s before reclaiming power a decade ago, was already facing a surprisingly stiff challenge from a popular former army chief heading into the April 9 election. The attorney general’s decision is likely to further buffet his re-election campaign.
Netanyahu went on nationwide television Thursday night, shortly after the attorney general’s recommendation.
Netanyahu called the timing of the announcement “outrageous” and accused his leftist opponents of carrying out an “unprecedented witch hunt.”
For the past two years, as the corruption cases were the sub- ject of intense news coverage, Netanyahu suffered relatively little harm in the polls.
He remains highly esteemed as the only Israeli politician with the stature and experience to lead a lonely democracy in a hostile region and represent its interests skillfully on the world stage.
But as an indictment became increasingly certain, he grew more strident and divisive, alienating even some of the right-leaning voters whose support he needs to win another term.
That, in turn, has bolstered his leading opponent, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, the former army chief of staff, and Gantz’s argument that Israel needs a clean, fresh start. “Thank you for the last 10 years,” Gantz has taken to saying, addressing Netanyahu. “We’ll take it from here.”
What’s next
The final decision on indictment will take place after the hearing where Netanyahu is given the opportunity to defend himself. That process is expected to take many months and be completed after the elections.