Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was officially indicted on three corruption cases hours before President Donald Trump’s Mideast peace plan was announced.
Charges against Netanyahu include bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Netanyahu insists he is innocent but withdrew his request for immunity early today. Israeli law does not require Netanyahu to resign unless he is convicted, CNN reports.
“At this fatal hour for the people of Israel, while I am in the United States on a historic mission to design the permanent borders of Israel and ensure our safety for future generations, it is expected to open up in the Knesset another show in the immunity removal circus,” Netanyahu posted in Hebrew on Facebook today.
“This is the continuation of the personal persecution that is obsessed with the people of ‘just not Bibi’ instead of understanding the size of the hour and above political considerations, they continue to engage in cheap politics that harms a decisive moment in the history of the country.
“Since I’m not going to give a fair procedure, since all the rules of the Knesset work are on a dirty foot, and since the results of the procedure are pre-ordered without a [proper discussion], I decided not to let this dirty game.”
The indictment makes Netanyahu the first Israeli prime minister to face criminal charges while still serving in that office.
Netanyahu also said he wouldn’t allow political scandals to interfere with the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan the Trump administration releases today. The Trump administration also reveals today a “Deal of the Century” map, which outlines proposed borders for a Palestinian state.
“This is an opportunity for peace,” Trump said Monday. “We’ll show a plan that has been worked on by everyone. We’ll see if it catches hold. If it does, that’d be great. If it doesn’t, it’s OK.”
