AG announces charges against PM, says they’re based on evidence and nothing else

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit at a press conference announces his decision to charge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in three corruption cases, as the Justice Ministry released in a statement an hour ago.

Mandelblit details the fraud and breach of trust allegations against Netanyahu in all three cases, and bribery in one of them.

He says the decision was made “only for legal considerations and based on evidence. No other consideration influenced me. I performed my duty.”

He says the “violent” discourse against the legal system must stop and be “denounced.”

“There is a difference between criticism and baseless conspiracy theories,” he says in response to countless attacks by Netanyahu and his loyalists.

He says he did not hesitate to close other investigations involving the premier when he found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.