Israel MPs advance ‘anti-police’ bill shielding Netanyahu amid graft probes
Israel’s parliament (Knesset) has voted in favor of a law robbing the police of the right to publicize information about their criminal investigations, a measure the opposition says is aimed at protecting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The so-called “recommendations law” passed its first reading in the parliament, with 46 lawmakers voting in favor of the bill versus the 36 who voted against it.
The draft law should pass to more readings.
If signed off on, the law will prevent the police from publicly saying whether they have found sufficient grounds for charges against Netanyahu, among other officials. The Israeli public would then have to wait until the attorney-general decides on the cases, and announces his decision.
Netanyahu is the subject of two high-profile graft cases. In Case 1000, he is suspected of having received gifts from businessmen overseas. He is also being investigated in Case 2000 for an alleged media bribery scheme to help Yediot Aharonot newspaper against its competitor Yisrael Hayom in return for favorable coverage.
The bill, spearheaded by Netanyahu’s allies, also proposes a one-year jail term for officials leaking findings to the press.
“The public doesn’t need to know everything. The public will find out at the end,” Netanyahu’s coalition head, David Bitan told the Knesset television channel.
Critics have, however, slammed the measure as the “anti-police law” aimed at shielding Netanyahu.
“This is a Netanyahu law,” said Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition party Yesh Atid. “It is tailored for very few people. The only people to benefit from it are politicians, mafia heads, and politicians who behave like mafia heads.”
Up until August, protesters would gather weekly in front of Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit’s residence in northern Israel, united in their cause to protest against Netanyahu, whom they accused of unforgivable corruption.
At their height, the protests would gather thousands, with demonstrators carrying signs reading, “Bibi resign,” referring to the premier, and chanting Israel “is collapsing.”
Latest polls show Yesh Atid being neck and neck in popularity with Netanyahu’s Likud. If charged, Netanyahu would come under heavy pressure to resign or could call an election to test whether he still had a mandate.
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