Netanyahu Denies Corruption Ahead of Criminal Investigation
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday denied allegations of wrongdoing published by local media outlets, who say the attorney-general will launch a criminal investigation against the prime minister next week.
A statement issued by a Netanyahu spokesman said the probe would fail to uncover any evidence against him.
“All the supposed affairs will turn out to be fiction, as will be the claims currently being published in the media… Nothing will be found because there is nothing to uncover,” Netanyahu’s spokesman said.
Israeli Channel 10 television said on Wednesday that Attorney-General Avihai Mandelblit, who was working with prosecutors and police, had ordered a probe.
The report said Mandelblit had authorized police to question Netanyahu under caution in two affairs and that a date for the interrogation would be set in the coming days.
The Justice Ministry said an announcement would be made “in due course.”
Channel 2 television followed up on Thursday by alleging that Netanyahu was suspected of receiving “significant gifts” from a local and a foreign businessman, although it provided no details.
A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen
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.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO