ALBAWABA - With nine members of the ruling coalition, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing ongoing criminal investigations or trials, Israel is experiencing a significant political and legal storm. Serious accusations of bribery, fraud, abuse of power, and political meddling in the military and court system are included in these instances.
At the heart of this dilemma are Prime Minister Netanyahu's three corruption charges, Files 1000, 2000, and 4000. Allegations of obtaining extravagant presents from affluent individuals, influencing media attention, and doing favors for large firms in return for favorable publicity are all part of the charges.
A number of Netanyahu's supporters are also being investigated. A Jewish Power party minister named Amichai Eliyahu is under investigation for organizing a bloody attack on an Israeli military installation in protest of troops detained for mistreating a Palestinian prisoner. Tzvi Sukkot and Nissim Vaturi, both Knesset members, are accused of encouraging settlers to overrun the facility.
Shas party member Haim Biton is charged with misappropriating money from the education ministry to support a children's magazine connected to his party. Miri Regev, the minister of transportation, is being investigated for giving communities that support Likud preference when allocating government infrastructure funding based on political allegiance.
May Golan, who reportedly participated in dubious fundraising and promoted unfit colleagues to public offices, is another instance. Senior Likud legislator David Bitan is on trial for accepting large payments while serving as Rishon LeZion's deputy mayor. Tali Gottlieb is being investigated for putting national security at risk by disclosing the identify of a Shin Bet operative.
Concerns about judicial independence and democratic integrity are raised by the Netanyahu government's support of a proposed rule that would make it practically hard to prosecute elected people without the consent of 90 Knesset members as legal pressure increases.
