TV: State prosecutor urges bribery charges against PM, newspaper publisher

A state prosecutor appointed to oversee and review the corruption allegations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly recommends that both the premier and the publisher of the Yedioth Ahronoth daily Arnon Mozes be charged with bribery in so-called Case 2000, Channel 10 reports.

The head of the State Prosecution’s Tax and Finance Department, Liat Ben Ari, has presented her final recommendations in Cases 1000 and 2000 to State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan. In her report, she urges that bribery charges be handed to both suspects in the latter case, the network says.

Case 2000 involves a suspected illicit quid-pro-quo deal between Netanyahu and Mozes that would have seen the prime minister weaken a rival daily — the Sheldon Adelson-backed Israel Hayom — in return for more favorable coverage from Yedioth.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) and Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Noni Mozes. (composite image: Flash90)

The TV channel reported on Sunday that Ben Ari recommended Netanyahu be indicted in Case 1000, in which the prime minister is suspected of receiving benefits worth about NIS 1 million ($282,000) from billionaire benefactors including Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, in exchange for assistance on various issues. It did not detail which charges she recommended.

Ben Ari’s recommendations will now be reviewed by Nitzan, who will then present a final recommendation to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, before the latter decides whether to press charges against the prime minister.

Mandelblit has already announced, however, that a final decision on indictments in the two cases will only be made together with the findings of another ongoing investigation, Case 4000.