The Israeli Prime Minister is under investigation for corruption (photo Haim Zach/GPO)
ISRAEL. Israel's attorney general indicted the Israeli prime minister on Thursday evening, 21 November 2019. Benyamin Netanyahu is suspected of corruption, fraud and breach of trust.
While his rival Benny Gantz, after the failure of Benjamin Netanyahu, has just in turn failed to form a government and that the President of the Republic, asked the Parliament to appoint the future Prime Minister, this announcement plunges the country into a serious political crisis.
In power without interruption for thirteen years, Benyamin Netanyahu is suspected in three different cases. The indictment had been threatening him for nearly three years. The Israeli police had recommended it as early as February 2018 and the Attorney General had been talking about it seriously since March 2019.
The indictment of Thursday 21 November 2019 only concerns the so-called "dossier 4000" case and covers government favours (regulatory concessions) in exchange for favourable coverage of his work by the Walla news website, owned by Bezeq, an Israeli telecommunications group.
The second is based on gifts received (some €250,000 in luxury cigars, bottles of champagne and jewellery) in return for personal services and financial support. It is known as "affaire 1000".
As for the "affair 2000", it is based on a secret pact concluded with the owner of the daily Yedioth Ahronoth for good press coverage in exchange for the weakening of the financial support of another rival newspaper, Israel Hayhom.
While his rival Benny Gantz, after the failure of Benjamin Netanyahu, has just in turn failed to form a government and that the President of the Republic, asked the Parliament to appoint the future Prime Minister, this announcement plunges the country into a serious political crisis.
In power without interruption for thirteen years, Benyamin Netanyahu is suspected in three different cases. The indictment had been threatening him for nearly three years. The Israeli police had recommended it as early as February 2018 and the Attorney General had been talking about it seriously since March 2019.
The indictment of Thursday 21 November 2019 only concerns the so-called "dossier 4000" case and covers government favours (regulatory concessions) in exchange for favourable coverage of his work by the Walla news website, owned by Bezeq, an Israeli telecommunications group.
The second is based on gifts received (some €250,000 in luxury cigars, bottles of champagne and jewellery) in return for personal services and financial support. It is known as "affaire 1000".
As for the "affair 2000", it is based on a secret pact concluded with the owner of the daily Yedioth Ahronoth for good press coverage in exchange for the weakening of the financial support of another rival newspaper, Israel Hayhom.
