Jerusalem
Netanyahu corruption case: Israeli police recommended this week that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be charged with bribery and fraud, the third time this year they have suggested he face prosecution for alleged corruption. In the latest case, Netanyahu is accused of giving regulatory perks to Bezeq, Israel’s largest national telecommunications provider, in exchange for favorable news coverage for himself on Bezeq’s news website, Walla. Police say he “intervened in a blatant and ongoing manner, and sometimes even daily,” to place flattering articles. In the two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of accepting lavish gifts in exchange for tax exemptions, and of proposing an illicit deal to secure favorable media coverage. He denies any wrongdoing. The attorney general must now decide whether to indict Netanyahu.