Israeli Police Recommend Corruption Indictment For Netanyahu
JERUSALEM (CBSNewYork) -- Israeli police are recommending that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted in a corruption scandal.
He's denied the accusations.
As CBS2's Dick Brennan reported, the indictment will be up to the attorney general, and it could be months before we learn the outcome of the case. In the meantime the prime minister is ready to fight it.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is defending himself against allegations of corruption.
In one case it's alleged Netanyahu reportedly received over $100,000 in gifts from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and other wealthy supporters.
The other case is over secret talks Netanyahu allegedly had with the publisher of a major Israeli newspaper in order to make a deal for more favorable coverage.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu said he did nothing wrong and said he would not step down.
He said in the past most police investigations are, as he puts it; 'thrown in the trash.'
"It will now go to the attorney general, so it's far too early to draw any conclusions about the case's outcome," Malcolm Hoenline, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said.
Hoenline is in the Middle East right now.
"It could take months before the attorney general moves ahead on an indictment or anything else, so I think it's certainly not the time for him to step down, although there will be increasing pressure and calls from political rivals and others for him to do so," he said.
Hoenline said right now, Netanyahu is in a strong position and elections are not until next year, so there is no threat to his government and he said it's clear the prime minister has proven able to function despite distractions.