Netanyahu lashes out at Israeli police chief amid reports detectives will recommend he is charged with corruption
Benjamin Netanyahu has lashed out at Israel's police chief amid reports that detectives will soon recommend that the prime minister face charges for corruption.
Two Israeli television channels claimed that police will next week recommend that Mr Netanyahu should be prosecuted for allegedly accepting illegal lavish gifts like champagne and cigars from two wealthy businessmen.
As the reports emerged, Israel's police chief, Roni Alseich, went on television and said "very powerful forces" had sent private investigators to "sniff around" in the private lives of detectives investigating the corruption cases.
He did not directly accuse Mr Netanyahu nor did he give details of the claim.
Shortly before midnight on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu's office published a searing Facebook post questioning whether the police chief and his force could be trusted to carry out an objective investigation.
"It is shocking to discover that the commissioner repeats the false suggestion that Prime Minister Netanyahu has sent private investigators against police officers who are interrogating him," the post said.
"A great shadow was cast this evening on the police investigations and recommendations in the case of Prime Minister Netanyahu."
One of Mr Netanyahu's chief political allies continued the attack on the objectivity of police on Thursday, accusing them of a political plot to bring down the prime minister.
"They see that the prime minister cannot be brought down at the ballot box so they try to bring him down through the Israel Police," said David Ansalem, Mr Netanyahu's chief whip.
Yair Lapid, the leader of a centrist opposition party, called Mr Netanyahu's attack "a desperate act" by a man "who decided to take advantage of his high status in order to threaten the rule of law and to cast blame on the police".
Mr Netanyahu's allies and enemies have waited for months to learn the outcome of the multiple police investigations into the prime minister.
"The sand in the hourglass is running out. Even if it has taken time, the end is nigh. Next week it’s going to happen," said Sima Kadmon, a commentator with the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
Mr Netanyahu faces a two-step process. First detectives will decide whether or not to make a recommendation that he should be charged. Prosecutors will then decide whether to move forward with an indictment.
Mr Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing and insisted he will not resign in the face of the police investigations. But his position may become untenable if he is actually charged with a crime.
Opposition parties are likely to call for his resignation and rivals within Mr Netanyahu's own Likud party may also leap at the chance to unseat a prime minister who has held power for nearly 11 years.
