Breaking Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Indicted on Corruption Charges

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who just yesterday was announced as the Likud Party’s candidate to run in this year’s elections, has been indicted by the Israeli attorney general on charges of bribery and fraud the most serious of which was accepting an illegal gift in the form of expensive cigars. Netanyahu has vehemently denied these charges, and his party remains the most popular in Israel, but this could potentially be the beginning of the end for his decades long political career. Stay tuned to see how this story unfolds.

Breaking Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Indicted on Corruption Charges

On Tuesday, Israeli police recommended that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in two separate cases. In Case 1000, Netanyahu is being accused of accepting expensive gifts from wealthy businessmen, including cigars, champagne and jewelry.

The Political Fallout

Since the indictment, Netanyahu has stated he will not be stepping down, which means he will most likely stay in power for now. The Israeli law requires a sitting prime minister to step down if indicted. So far, no date has been set for the case to be heard in court and it is unclear how this will affect his role as prime minister. If he steps down before the date of the hearing or is found guilty, it would trigger an early election.

What This Means for Netanyahu's Career

Netanyahu is currently facing three separate indictments. The first and most recent, filed Tuesday by the Israeli Attorney General, revolves around allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The second indictment, filed in December 2017, is for accepting bribes from Arnon Milchan. Finally, the third is for allegedly receiving champagne and cigars worth tens of thousands of dollars from billionaire James Packer and Australian businessman Nathan Landau.

The Impact on Israeli Politics

The charges are the first formal accusations against an Israeli prime minister in more than a decade and have led to speculation about how he will govern, with some speculating that he may announce early elections. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing. The indictment could also lead to his being charged with treason if found guilty as many are urging him to step down and not risk the country's stability. If convicted of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, Netanyahu could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

A recent poll suggests that roughly two-thirds of Israelis believe that the charges should lead the prime minister to either resign or call for new elections.

The International Reaction

Reactions to the indictment were swift with officials around the world commenting on the charges. Here are some of their responses.

U.S. President Donald Trump said that the news is a disgrace in a tweet and added that Netanyahu has been a great prime minister. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Si  called for an emergency meeting of Arab League countries to discuss the issue, while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that he was following developments closely and planned to comment later. 

In France National Assembly President François de Rugy tweeted his support for Israeli attorney general Avichai Mandel blit's decision and urged French prosecutors to take any necessary legal steps if they had any evidence against Israeli politicians.