Jerusalem (CNN) The bombshell announcement Israel has been awaiting for two years has finally arrived: the Attorney General intends to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in three separate corruption cases.

It is the biggest blow to Netanyahu since the investigations were first publicly disclosed at the end of 2016.

Like his good friend US President Donald Trump, embroiled in legal issues of his own, the Israeli premier has denounced the corruption probes as a media-led witch-hunt, fueled by fake news. Appealing to his supporters in a primetime address Thursday, Netanyahu said these intended indictments were a result of extraordinary pressure from the left, their only chance to bring him down, since they could not do it at the ballot box.

Legally, this story is now on ice. Netanyahu's lawyers need time to review reams of documents, evidence, and testimony. Both sides will prepare for Netanyahu's hearing. Only after that will the Attorney General make a final decision on filing charges. The next major legal headline may be months away.

Politically, the story is now in high gear. The parties are set. The mergers are done. The lines have been drawn.

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