Report: Police to recommend Netanyahu be indicted

The police have made progress in investigations into Netanyahu’s dealings and are reportedly set to indict him.

The police will recommend that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted in what has been called Case 1000, which involves Netanyahu allegedly receiving expensive gifts from rich supporters, particularly from Israeli-born movie mogul Arnon Milchan, possibly in return for favors.

Israel Radio, which reported the news on Monday, added that the police and the State’s Attorney agree that Netanyahu should be indicted.

On Sunday, the police announced that the investigations surrounding Netanyahu’s alleged corruption are “in their final stretch.”

Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh said during a press conference that the investigations against Netanyahu were at their final stages, and that they are expected to be concluded within weeks.

The police “already reached their conclusions regarding both investigations. We are now giving it the last push in order to finish it and not to drag it out over a long period of time… I believe that we will be completed with the police portion [of the investigations] within the coming weeks,” he added.

Any final decision to put Netanyahu on trial is still months away.

Netanyahu has been questioned a number of times in recent weeks for his alleged involvement in Case 1000  and Case 2000, which involve an alleged pact between Netanyahu and Yedioth Aharonoth publisher Noni Mozes in which Netanyahu proposed to use his power to curb the power of Yedioth’s main rival, Israel Hayom, through the passage of a law curbing Israel’s Hayom’s distribution, in return for Yedioth’s reduction of negative coverage of Netanyahu’s government.

Alsheikh emphasized that the difference between receiving improper gifts and bribery is sometimes a matter of legal semantics. “Indeed, there can be a situation in which we open an investigation into improper giving of gifts and it turns into a bribery probe.”

In the meantime, the public battle surrounding Netanyahu’s integrity is heating up.

Member of Knesset (MK) David Amsalem, of Netanyahu’s Likud party, on Sunday charged that Milchan was lying about Netanyahu’s gifts in order to unseat him.

His comments came after media reports that Milchen purchased jewelry worth $8,600 for Sara Netanyahu in 2004.

Milchen later released a statement categorically rejecting the charges, while Netanyahu also stated that the ties between the two families were strong and that he supported Milchen.

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and calls the allegations a witch hunt by a ‘hostile media’ against him and his family.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News