Israeli PM Netanyahu Indicted with Corruption Charges
In a similar case, it is alleged that India’s PM Narendra Modi is also involved in multiple corruption cases including a $4-billion Rafale scandal.
By Rakesh Raman
The Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted Tuesday (January 28) with corruption charges when he withdrew his request for parliamentary immunity which was expected to be denied in the Knesset.
Netanyahu has been charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit submitted the indictment in Jerusalem District Court, making Netanyahu the first sitting prime minister to face trial in the country’s history.
The indictment has come after over three years of investigations while Netanyahu claims that it is part of an “attempted coup” to overthrow him. Despite indictment, Netanyahu has refused to step down.
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In Israel, a PM is not required to resign on indictment while other ministers and government officials are supposed to relinquish their positions when they are charged with a crime.
While a trial date has not been decided, the legal process to decide Netanyahu’s fate is very long and the court may not give its judgment in the coming many years.
Earlier, in November 2019, Netanyahu was charged in the three separate corruption cases. Attorney General Mandelblit, who was appointed by Netanyahu, has stated that the decision to indict Netanyahu was inevitable and it is not a matter of politics.
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In a similar case, it is alleged that India’s PM Narendra Modi is also involved in multiple corruption cases including a $4-billion Rafale scandal. However, the Supreme Court of India – which works under the control of the government – has refused to order investigations.
Attacking the judiciary, Netanyahu had argued that the investigations against him were not fair. In response, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel, Esther Hayut, has warned that Netanyahu’s attacks on the judicial system pose a danger to the functioning of the country’s democracy.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He also creates and publishes a number of digital publications and research reports on different subjects.
