Mandelblit says he won’t be deterred by threats, in response to Zohar

Avichai Mandelblit’s office says he won’t be cowed by threats, after coalition whip Miki Zohar warned the attorney general could face damaging disclosures about him if he doesn’t quit or drop charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Zohar claimed that a recording aired by Channel 12 news, in which Mandelblit is heard complaining about then-state prosecutor Shai Nitzan, supported an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory that the attorney general had been blackmailed by the state attorney, prosecutors and police into filing the charges as part of a “witch hunt” aimed at ousting the premier.

“Threats will not deter the attorney general from doing his job,” the attorney general’s office says, calling the claim that he was blackmailed or otherwise affected by ulterior motives “ridiculous and baseless” and adding that the charges were prepared by many people and are currently being scrutinized by a panel of judges.

“As clarified yesterday, there is no link or connection between words uttered out of anger in a private conversation between friends years ago, when Dr. Mandelblit was offended by the treatment he was receiving, and the cases related to the prime minister and others,” the attorney general’s offices adds.