[UPDATES BELOW]
There are reports coming out of Israel now that the Police have finished their investigation into bribery charges against Prime Minister Netanyahu and will now recommend indicting him on two charges:
#BREAKING: Israeli police recommend to indict Israeli PM @netanyahu on Bribary charge and breach of trust in 2 cases; Cheif prosecuter will have the finle word on the cases pic.twitter.com/kXP6PNAtyF
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) February 13, 2018
#BREAKING Israel police would recommend to prosecute PM Netanyahu on bribe in two corruption cases, statement to be given in this hour
— Guy Elster (@guyelster) February 13, 2018
BREAKING: Israeli police recommends the attorney general to indict Netanyahu in two cases of alleged bribery
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) February 13, 2018
BREAKING: Israeli Police will indict Prime Minister Netanyahu for bribery in 2 cases (known as Case 1000 and Case 2000). >>
— Elizabeth Tsurkov (@Elizrael) February 13, 2018
#BREAKING: Netanyahu has been informed police want him indicted on several counts of corruption and abuse of power. #Boom.
— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) February 13, 2018
(Its gonna be a long night.)
#Breaking: Israeli media report Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan will also be indicted in the gifts-for-access corruption case. Proving once again you cannot bribe a politician without being a briber yourself.
— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) February 13, 2018
BREAKING: Israeli media reports say police recommending Netanyahu indictment on corruption charges, including bribery.
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 13, 2018
Looks like a sad day in Israel. But if Amichal Stein is correct, the Chief Prosecutor will be the one who decides whether or not to actually prosecute Netanyahu. But I suspect if the police investigation is sound, they will have no choice but to prosecute.
UPDATE: Here’s more on the apparent charges:
The two cases are the so-called Case 1000 – in which Netanyahu is suspected of accepting lavish gifts from wealthy benefactors in return for advancing their interests – and Case 2000, which alleges that Netanyahu tried to strike a deal that would have provided him with positive coverage in Israel’s second largest newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, in exchange for hurting its free rival, Israel Hayom.
The publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth, Arnon Mozes, will also be charged, as will Arnon Milchan, who allegedly provided Netanyahu with gifts. Netanyahu will address the public in a live broadcast at 8:45 P.M.
Netanyahu has maintained he did nothing wrong, claiming on numerous occasions that “there will be nothing, because there is nothing.”
Just fyi.
UPDATE 2:
#BREAKING: YAIR LAPID REVEALED AS SECRET STATE WITNESS AGAINST NETANYAHU, according to @kann_news
— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) February 13, 2018
“Yair Lapid is an Israeli politician, former Finance Minister and former journalist who is the Chairman of the Yesh Atid Party. He served as the Israeli Minister of Finance between 2013 and 2014” – Wikipedia
And:
#BREAKING: NETANYAHU ACCUSED OF RECEIVING BRIBES WRTH 1 MILLION SHEKELS, $282,960.
— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) February 13, 2018
BIG UPDATE:
Netanyahu responds, says the charges will come to nothing:
BREAKING: In live TV address, Netanyahu says police recommendations against him will "end with nothing"
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 13, 2018
#BREAKING Israeli PM Netanyahu said that a police recommendation charging him with corruption “will end in nothing” and that the allegations against him “have no basis.” Israeli police are expected to publish their recommendation today. @CNN has not yet seen the recommendation.
— Bijan Hosseini (@BijanCNN) February 13, 2018
BREAKING: Netanyahu says he will continue to lead Israel pic.twitter.com/5XSrGuB6Xj
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) February 13, 2018