Netanyahu claims ‘coup plot’ by media over corruption inquiries

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, the Israeli prime minister, accused the media and his political opponents of plotting “a coup” against him as he tried to rally his supporters in the face of a series of corruption investigations.

Mr Netanyahu is being investigated by police for bribery and fraud and has faced a week of torrid headlines, including reports that his wife Sara may soon be prosecuted, and that one of his former senior aides is giving evidence against him.

However, Mr Netanyahu was defiant as he addressed a rally of members of his Likud Party, saying that opponents who could not defeat him at the ballot box were trying to hound him out of office through the courts.

“Both the Left and the media – and that’s the same thing, know this – are taking part in an unprecedented, obsessive witch hunt campaign against me and my family with the goal of staging a coup,” Mr Netanyahu said. “Their goal is to apply improper and incessant pressure on the law enforcement agencies so that they bring charges at any cost, regardless of the truth, without any connection to justice.”

Mr Netanyahu adopted some of the language of US president Donald Trump as he accused the Israeli press of “fake news”.

He also targeted Haaretz, Israel’s leading liberal newspaper, just as the US president continually criticises The New York Times. His speech delighted the Likud faithful, who call him by his nickname “Bibi” and often jokingly refer to him as “the king of Israel”.

However, Likud MKS have been more reluctant to take to the airwaves to defend their leader during the police investigations.

“We have problems. Some of the problems are a result of people who don’t want to go public, and some are a result of some people who don’t know how to protect the prime minister,” said David Bitan, one of Mr Netanyahu’s closest Likud allies.

“We put pressure on them to speak up because we need all our MPS and our ministers to fight for this.”