Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has surrendered his immunity from prosecution just minutes before the Knesset was set to form a committee expected to strip it from him.

The latest: Israel's attorney general has now sent the indictments against Netanyahu — for bribery, breach of trust and fraud — to the Jerusalem district court.

The backdrop: Netanyahu realized there was a majority in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, to strip him of immunity.

That's a humbling reality for the man who has dominated Israeli politics for a decade.

Netanyahu also realized his immunity push was alienating voters ahead of the March 2nd elections.

Netanyahu's top political rival, Benny Gantz, was planning to focus his campaign around the public hearing over Netanyahu's immunity request.

What they're saying: Netanyahu is in Washington and will join President Trump at the White House shortly for the rollout of his Middle East peace plan.

He released a statement blaming his opponents for dealing in petty politics while he dealt with the "historic" opportunities created by Trump’s peace plan.

Gantz issued a statement attacking Netanyahu and stressing that a prime minister can’t function when he needs to go to court to defend himself twice a week.

What’s next: Netanyahu’s trial will begin in several weeks with the reading of the indictments. His lawyers will seek a postponement to ensure he doesn’t appear in court as a defendant before the elections.