Avigdor Lieberman Faces Corruption Charge
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman will be indicted for fraud and breach of trust, charges that may lead him to resign, but the Justice Ministry dropped more serious corruption allegations in a nearly 12-year-old case.
The announcement comes just weeks before a Jan. 22 election in which the right-wing party of Lieberman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is predicted to win.
Lieberman has denied all wrongdoing and said in the past he would resign if indicted, though it was unclear how he would now act since the charges he face are less severe than anticipated.
Lieberman is expected to speak later on Thursday.
The fraud and breach of trust charges centred on suspected cronyism in Lieberman’s efforts to promote an Israeli diplomat who had leaked him privileged information about a separate police probe pertaining to Lieberman.
Legal experts say Lieberman may resign, following the precedent of other Israeli officials indicted for corruption in recent years, including former prime minister Ehud Olmert, who was acquitted of most of those charges this year.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
