Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit defended Israel Police Thursday evening, two days after investigators announced they would recommend that charges be filed against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in two separate corruption cases.
Speaking at an event at Tel Aviv University Thursday, Mandelblit praised investigators for their handling of two cases involving the Prime Minister – “Case 1000” and “Case 2000”, both involving allegations of corruption.
Both “investigations were conducted by the book,” said Mandelblit,” the way you’d expect law enforcement officials to deal with these types of cases – determined to uncover the truth.”
Mandelblit, who is expected to rule on the police recommendation in a matter of weeks, offered an apparent jab at the Prime Minister, saying “No one is above the law – and no one is immune from it.”
Netanyahu dismissed the recommendations against him, saying Thursday that “in the end, the truth will win”.
On Tuesday, investigators announced that they believed sufficient evidence had been collected to merit indictments against the Prime Minister in two separate corruption cases, popularly known as “Case 1000” and “Case 2000”.
"Upon conclusion of the investigation, Case 1000, [Israel] Police have concluded that there is sufficient evidence against the PM on suspicions for the offense of accepting bribes, fraud, and breach of trust regarding his connection with businessman Arnon Milchan, and fraud and breach of trust In connection with the Australian businessman James Packer," police said in a statement Tuesday.
"In connection with Milchan, the police [department's] position is that sufficient evidence has been established on the suspicions of bribery."
"Upon conclusion of the investigation Case 2000, [Israel] Police have concluded that there is sufficient evidence against the PM in this case for the offense of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
Against the publisher of Yedioth Ahronot, Mr. Arnon (Noni) Mozes, the Police have concluded that there is sufficient evidence that suspicions of bribery were committed."
While Netanyahu has been emphatic that he will not step down over the police recommendation to indict him, should Mandelblit approve the police department’s recommendations to indict, the Prime Minister will face pressure from both inside and outside of his coalition government.
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, chairman of the government’s largest coalition partner, backed Netanyahu following the police announcement Tuesday, yet seemed to suggest he would not support the continuation of the present government if an indictment is indeed filed, saying that “only the Attorney General is entitled” to rule on the matter.