AG reportedly agreed to deal for Netanyahu to leave politics for 2 years, but reneged
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit initially offered former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a much more lenient plea deal in his corruption trial than the one currently being discussed, but backed down due to a barrage of pressure from insiders. key figures in the prosecution, Channel 12 reported Friday.
According to the report, Netanyahu would have only had to pledge to stay away from public life for two years, with charges also being significantly reduced in two of the cases and dismissed in the third.
Since reports of the negotiations emerged last week, they have consistently said Mandelblit demanded the deal include a “moral turpitude” clause – which would bar the former prime minister from holding public office for seven years.
This was advanced Thursday by Deputy Prosecutor Shlomo Lamberger, who made the first public remarks by a senior justice official on the offer, telling a conference hosted by the Israel Bar Association that it would be “inconceivable” for a plea deal not to include the clause.
“Anyone who understands moral turpitude understands that with such acts, it is inconceivable that there is no moral turpitude,” Lamberger said.
Opposition and Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu leads a faction meeting in the Knesset, November 15, 2021. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)
Netanyahu is on trial in three separate bribery cases: for fraud and breach of trust in Case 1000 and in Case 2000, and for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000. As part of the deal potential reported, the bribery charge in Case 4000 would be dropped, and Case 2000 would be fully closed.
The reports listed Mandelblit’s current conditions for a deal as follows: Netanyahu admits fraud and breach of trust in Cases 1000 and 4000; he accepts the appellation of moral turpitude; he will be sentenced to seven to nine months of community service; and he admits instructing former Communications Ministry director Shlomo Filber to provide benefits to Bezeq media company’s majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch – the main charge against the former prime minister in the case 4000. Case 2000 would be completely dropped.
However, Friday’s report said Mandelblit had previously agreed to Netanyahu stepping down for just two years. He also said the proposed deal would have included a suspended prison sentence, as opposed to the community service and suspended sentence currently on offer.
Furthermore, the AG was prepared not only to drop Case 2000 and the bribery charges, but to reduce fraud and breach of trust in Cases 1000 and 4000 to “a low level”.
Mandelblit was forced to change course amid a barrage of criticism of lenient terms from senior justice and prosecutorial officials, the report said, adding that some of them were not told about the talks. initials.
The report also accused the GA office of duplicity, saying it had tried to present the negotiations as a recent development, when in fact the talks had been taking place officially, but in secret, for five months with at least five meetings between the parties.
There has been no formal confirmation of the talks from either side.
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara leave after meeting their lawyers on the plea deal, outside the home of Boaz Ben Zur in Ramat Gan, January 16, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Reports on Channel 12 and 13 claimed the two sides now believed there would be no deal before Mandelblit steps down as attorney general at the end of the month.
Reports said the gaps between the parties appeared too wide to bridge in the short time remaining in Mandelblit’s term – seen as a key window to strike a deal.
The parties were now likely to seek “criminal arbitration” with the head of the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, with any final agreement only possible once a new attorney general was appointed.
According to the network, State Attorney Amit Aisman — who will serve as attorney general until a permanent nominee is selected — said he would not touch plea deal negotiations at all.
It is not yet known when a new permanent attorney general will be appointed, but the process should last at least a few weeks in February.
Veteran Channel 12 political commentator Amnon Abramovich said Netanyahu was the one pushing for a deal because he wanted to quit politics and go “make some money.”
“Netanyahu wants to resign. He wants to make money. That’s what he also told his family. He told me a few years ago that I could easily make $300,000 a month,” Abramovich said.
Abromovich said Netanyahu remains only the opposition leader as a bargaining chip to use in the negotiations.
Channel 12 and 13 said it was likely a deal would eventually be reached, noting that politicians on both sides were already preparing for the post-Netanyahu era.
Several prominent Likud members have declared their intention to try to succeed Netanyahu, who has led the party for nearly two decades.
Channel 13 said that within Likud, former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat and former finance minister Israel Katz are already campaigning.
Former Culture Minister Miri Regev has also declared her candidacy if Netanyahu leaves, but criticized her colleagues, particularly Katz, who has reportedly begun moves to set up an alternative coalition under her leadership.
Likud MK Miri Regev visits the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, February 28, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
“If he does that, it’s a very big mistake,” Regev told Channel 12. “I suggest we let Netanyahu make his decision, it’s not honorable to preempt it.”
“Netanyahu must take his time with this difficult decision. Starting to share the loot already is not the right thing to do,” Regev said. “The next day we will act according to the Likud charter. Of course, Israel Katz will not be the only candidate for Likud leadership.
Netanyahu denies all the allegations against him and says the charges were fabricated by a biased police force and prosecution, overseen by a weak attorney general, in cahoots with political opponents and the left-leaning media.
