Court document reveals for first time that prime minister is subject of inquiries into alleged ‘fraud, breach of trust and bribes’

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been named as a suspect in two investigations into allegations of “fraud, breach of trust and bribes” with his former chief of staff signing a deal with prosecutors to testify against him.

The moves mark the most serious political crisis for the Israeli leader, the only prime minister to rival founding father David Ben-Gurion for longevity in office.

The suspicions against Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing, were first revealed in a court application by detectives on Thursday seeking a gag order on reporting details of negotiations with Ari Harow, the former chief of staff, to become a state witness. Talks were concluded on Friday with Harow signing a deal in which he agreed to testify.

According to a statement from the Israel Police, Harow is expected to receive six months of community service and a fine of $193,000 on separate breach of trust charges – rather than a prison sentence – in exchange for his testimony.

The latest dramatic twists in the series of long-running investigations into Netanyahu, his family and close circle, have led some commentators in the Israeli media to suggest that an indictment may now be inevitable.

Amid mounting calls from politicians for Netanyahu to stand down if he is charged in any of the investigations, commentators even in media usually friendly to the Israeli prime minister – including the rightwing Jerusalem Post – have begun beginning to talk about ‘alternatives’ to him.

The confirmation of the seriousness of the allegations comes on the day after his wife, Sara, was again interviewed by police in a separate case relating to claims for household costs in the prime minister’s residence.



The saga – which at times has played out like a soap opera – has gripped Israelis as it touched on many of the criticisms of Netanyahu during his long political career, including his sense of persecution, his insatiable wheeler-dealing to stay in power, his taste for luxury and sense of entitlement.

For his part, Netanyahu and his office have dismissed the accusations against him as a politically motivated witch-hunt designed to push him out of office.

It has also lifted the lid on the cosy and often nepotistic relationship between Israel’s business and political elite in a country where many Israelis struggle with a high cost of living and modest salaries.

Quick guide The police investigations swirling around Netanyahu Show Hide The Israeli PM is embroiled in four cases involving allegations of bribery and misconduct. He denies wrongdoing in every instance. Case 1000 is an investigation into gifts received on a regular basis by Netanyahu and his family from two wealthy businessmen, including cigars and pink champagne. Case 2000 is examining whether Netanyahu behaved improperly during a taped conversation with a newspaper publisher in which he appeared to try to negotiate more sympathetic coverage in return for lowering the circulation of a rival paper. Case 3000 is an inquiry into alleged kickbacks in a deal to buy German submarines. Netanyahu is not a suspect, but he was closely involved in the deal and the case has ensnared members of his inner circle.

Case 4000, the most serious, involves allegations that Netanyahu offered incentives to the Israeli telecoms company Bezeq in exchange for positive stories in an online news website it owns, Walla.

While the scope of the investigations in the so-called cases 1000 and 2000 – the first about gifts from wealthy benefactors and the second over attempts to sway media coverage – have long been known, it is the first time Netanyahu has been publicly designated as a suspect.

Netanyahu’s office denied the accusations and said investigators were trying to bring down his government. “We completely reject the unfounded claims made against the prime minister. The campaign to change the government is under way, but it is destined to fail, for a simple reason: there won’t be anything because there was nothing,” a statement said.

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It comes as a third high-profile corruption investigation – case 3000 – has focused on allegations of bribery within his inner circle over a deal to buy submarines from Germany.

The application for the gag order, made to the Rishon Lezion magistrate’s court in central Israel, followed the confirmation by Israel’s attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, earlier on Thursday that talks were under way with Harow, a close confidant of Netanyahu, to testify in exchange for leniency.

Harow served as Netanyahu’s chief of staff for two years from 2008, when the politician was in opposition. He returned in 2014 to serve as the prime minister’s chief of staff, but resigned a year later amid allegations of corruption, which he denied.

Harow was accused of having used his ties to Netanyahu to advance his private interests. Police have recommended he be indicted for bribery and breach of trust, but Mandelblit has yet to file formal charges against him.



The gag order also affects case 1000, in which the prime minister and his wife are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from billionaire benefactors – most notably expensive cigars and champagne from the Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. Netanyahu is the primary suspect in the case. The couple has denied any wrongdoing.

The investigations have begun to have an impact on Netanyahu’s rightwing Likud party, whose senior figures are sparring publicly over whether their leader can remain in office if he is indicted.

Likud officials have sharply criticised any suggestions Netanyahu may have to step down. “The prime minister does not need to resign, rather he needs to prove his innocence,” said Likud’s coalition chairman, David Bitan.

“There will be no indictment. But let’s say there will be: the charges would still be minor and the prime minister would be able both to function and to prove his innocence.”

Bitan has urged Likud supporters to rally in support of Netanyahu to counter weekly demonstrations against the slow progress of the investigation. Bitan said a rally on Saturday was designed “to protest the invalid and anti-democratic attempt by those on the left who want to topple the government in a an undemocratic fashion”.