Netanyahu indicted on charges of bribery, fraud, breach of trust

[sandensea]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was formally charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust on Thursday, making him the first Israeli premier to be indicted while in office and sending Israel’s already stalemated political system into further disarray.

Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit capped almost three years of investigation and months of speculation by handing down a 63-page indictment against the country’s longest-serving prime minister and its center of political gravity for the last decade.

The cases against Netanyahu center on allegations that the prime minister and his wife, Sara, accepted more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods in exchange for political favors and that Netanyahu interceded with regulators and lawmakers on behalf of two media companies in exchange for positive news stories.

At: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-indicted-on-charges-of-bribery-fraud-breach-of-trust/2019/11/21/ef396fee-0bc2-11ea-8054-289aef6e38a3_story.html

Two of a kind: Netanyahu and Trump celebrate the latter's pro-Golan Heights occupation statement this March.

Netanyahu's indictment today, and his possible succession by centrist opponent Benny Gantz, undermines Trump's lock-step support for right-wing Israeli policy.

[Sneederbunk]

1. Must be a lot of fake news and NeverBibis in Israel.

[sandensea]

2. Yeah. Nutty yahoo's like Cheeto - but with a good head on his shoulders.

Which, of course, makes him all that much more dangerous to the global community.

Here's hoping Gantz can form a government after all, and soon. We'll see.

[Israeli]

3. Gantz lost his chance.....

to form a coalition at midnight last Wednesday .

Its a free for all now until December 11th I think .

Will try to find something in English that explains the situation when I have time .

As for Bibi , IMHO he should resign but he is not going to give up .

[Israeli]

4. This is best link I could find :

https://www.timesofisrael.com/here-be-elections-7-things-to-know-for-november-21/

Knesset blackjack: The 21-day grace period has never been experienced before in the country’s history, meaning there are a lot of questions, and a lot of explainers about how it will work.

On Wednesday, the Knesset legal adviser sent out a briefing sheet to explain to the media and everyone else the rules of the game to try and clear up some confusion.

In short, “any MK who wins majority support during the 21-day period, which begins Thursday and ends at midnight on December 11, would then be appointed prime minister-designate by the president, the law states. That MK then has a further 14-day window to form a government and get it approved by the Knesset,” ToI’s Jacob Magid writes.

One surprise in the directives is the fact that MKs can recommend more than one candidate, meaning more than one MK can get the votes necessary. Only the first to submit, though, will get the golden baton.

Channel 13 calls the process “the last way to avoid elections.”