Watchdog group calls for criminal investigation into PM’s alleged misconduct

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel calls on the attorney general to open a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of misconduct made by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar in an affidavit he filed to the High Court of Justice on Monday.

In Bar’s affidavit, he accused Netanyahu of pressuring him to help the prime minister postpone his testimony in his criminal trial by citing security considerations that Bar did not believe existed, and of asking him to use the Shin Bet to act against anti-government activists involved in legitimate political protest.

The Movement for Quality Government argues in its letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara that these alleged actions by Netanyahu constitute criminal violations of interfering in the course of justice, as well as breach of trust.

Using government powers for unlawful purposes could constitute a breach of trust, while trying to postpone testimony in court by pressuring a public official to make a declaration to the court that he did not believe could constitute interference in the course of justice.

“The series of facts that was set forth in the Shin Bet chief’s affidavit indicates a real and serious suspicion that Prime Minister Netanyahu committed a series of extremely serious offenses and harmed the very heart of democracy,” says the Movement for Quality Government.

It points out that the default position under the law is that a criminal investigation must be opened when the police are made aware that a crime has been committed, and that it is obligatory to open such an investigation due to the severity of the allegations and because they were brought to light by the Shin Bet chief who the organization describes as “the most senior figure in the law enforcement system.”