JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s attorney general on Thursday formally charged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a series of corruption cases, throwing the country’s paralyzed political system into further disarray and threatening the long-time leader’s grip on power.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit charged Netanyahu with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three different scandals. It is the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has been charged with a crime. Mandelblit was set to issue a formal statement later Thursday.
Allegations against Netanyahu include suspicions he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of champagne and cigars from billionaire friends, offered to trade favors with a newspaper publisher and used his influence to help a wealthy telecom magnate in exchange for favorable coverage on a popular news site.
‘Wrath of American Justice’: AG Pam Bondi Outlines Criminal Charges That Could Put Maduro Away for Good
Liberal Leadership: California DMV Software Problems Botched More Than 300K IDs
ICE highlights ‘best of the best’ agents who jumped into action at crash sites
‘Mind chess,’ not threats, convinced real-life Sopranos mobster to cooperate: retired FBI agent
House Democrat calls Trump’s Maduro capture ‘welcome news’ as left labels it ‘illegal’
Stephen Miller Announces Major Family News
Trump Admin Suspends Thousands of ‘Minnesota Borrowers’ Over Suspected Fraud
The Bail Project spent $91M freeing criminal suspects, including some who later committed murder
Four legislative priorities waiting for House members in 2026
Hundreds of Thousands Sign Petition Against Macron Swapping Notre Dame Stained Glass with Modern Replacements
Minnesota faces funding deadline after Trump administration freezes child care payments
New York Parents Say Kids Freeze During Rides to School Because of Electric Buses
Public trust in the government at one of its lowest points
Trump and the White House go on defense over health concerns
Trump-aligned super PAC enters 2026 midterms with nearly $300M war chest
The indictment does not require Netanyahu to resign but is expected to raise pressure on him to step down.
Netanyahu has called the allegations part of a witch hunt, lashing out against the media, police, prosecutors and the justice system.
Netanyahu was scheduled to issue a statement later Thursday.
Story cited here.
