While the country is in the middle of a political blockage, the judiciary must decide if it charges the Israeli prime minister entangled in several cases.
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Benyamin Netanyahu tried everything to stay at his post until his appointment with the Israeli justice, Wednesday, October 2. In April, then on September 17, he went through two legislative elections that left the country worn and without a majority. His negotiations to form a coalition government are at a standstill. But "Bibi" has hope: he is still prime minister, when facing the Attorney General of the country, Avichai Mandelblit.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu again posted a steady stream of videos online, saying the charges of corruption, breach of trust and fraud hanging over him would end up " collapse ". Attorney Mandelblit did not see them. This magistrate, who fasted on the occasion of the religious feast of Guedalia, meanwhile meanwhile, during eleven o'clock, the arguments of a dozen lawyers dispatched by the Prime Minister, in a basement without windows or cellular network from the Ministry of Justice, Saladin Street in Jerusalem.
These hearings, scheduled until Monday, could still be extended. "Netanyahu's lawyers are trying to show that the evidence is fragile, and that it will not allow Mr. Mandelblit to get a conviction. But it is now clear that he inclines to submit criminal charges against "Bibi" " by the end of December, said lawyer Gad Barzilai, vice-rector of Haifa University, in unison with most experts.
Discrete gifts of rich allies
During the first two days, these hearings focused on the "4,000 file", the most serious. The prime minister is accused of having changed the framework regulating the Israeli telecom market, offering the operator Bezeq a heavy financial advantage. In exchange, its main shareholder, telecoms magnate Shaul Elovich, reportedly produced positive coverage of Netanyahu in an online media that belongs to him, Walla.
Netanyahu's lawyers have to fight against the damning testimony of the former Director General of the Ministry of Communications, Shlomo Filber. This former Netanyahu loyal witness suffered, before opening himself to justice, a detention and extensive interrogations, which the Prime Minister's lawyers could consider abusive.