Mandelblit defends ‘democratic’ anti-Netanyahu demos outside his home
After criticism from Likud of protests calling for indictment of PM in corruption cases, AG says right to demonstrate is essential to democracy
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Tuesday defended the right of protesters to demonstrate near his home against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the weekly protests calling for the premier to be indicted in a pair of corruption investigations are entirely legitimate and protected by freedom of expression.
“Freedom of expression and the right to protest are fundamental rights in a democratic state,” Mandelblit said at a conference in Tel Aviv of the Israel Bar Association.
“It is especially important to uphold the right to freedom of expression in areas where the views are grating,” Mandelblit said, adding that because the issue of the demonstrations relates to him personally, he would not comment further.
Responding to the protesters’ claim that he is dragging his feet over the investigations, Mandelblit said there were “no short cuts” in a probe of this nature, and that it was being conducted properly and seriously.
Last week, the High Court of Justice allowed the weekly protests to resume near Mandelblit’s home in Petah Tikva. The court said no more than 500 demonstrators could attend; in the event, 1,500-2,000 gathered. Police had blocked a demonstration the previous week and arrested two of its leaders.
The protests have been condemned by members of Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, who say they are part of an undemocratic effort to oust the prime minister.
Netanyahu charged at a Likud rally earlier this month that the demonstrations were part of an attempt by the left and the media to use the ever-widening corruption investigations against him and his family to oust him from power, which he called “a coup against the government.”
“Listen carefully to what the organizer of the left-wing protests said there in Petah Tikva. ‘We won’t be able to take down Netanyahu through elections, so let’s bring him down through investigations.’ I am quoting him,” Netanyahu said.
He also told the August 9 gathering: “They don’t want to just take me down, they want to take us all down… They know that they can’t beat us at the ballot boxes, so they are trying to circumvent democracy and topple us in other ways.
The demonstrations, which have taken place every Saturday evening since December 2016, have grown dramatically in recent weeks amid developments in the corruption cases involving Netanyahu. Earlier this month, over 2,500 people took part at one of the weekly gatherings.
Likud supporters have also staged a number of counter protests near Mandelblit’s home in recent weeks, albeit on a much smaller scale, and have accused demonstrators of seeking to subvert the rule of law and topple the government.
Addressing the criminal investigations involving Netanyahu, Mandelblit said any decision to indict the prime minister in a pair of corruption cases will be based solely on the strength of the evidence and not political pressure.
“We will continue to act responsibly and decide only in light of the evidence,” he said. “This is the sole basis for our work, political background noise will not influence us.”
“It is not possible to give up on gathering all the evidence and analysis of all the documents. This is our obligation to the public, the public interest and the suspects — this is the precept of the rule of law,” he added.
“The only question that will be asked is whether there is a sufficient basis of evidence for filing an indictment. If there is a sufficient basis an indictment will be filed. If not, it will be shelved.”
As the ongoing corruption cases involving Netanyahu have developed, critics have panned Mandelblit for his handling of the investigations, pointing to the attorney general’s previous role as Netanyahu’s cabinet secretary and accusing him of slow-walking the probes.
Also speaking at the conference was State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan, who said while he understood the public’s desire to know about the corruption cases involving Netanyahu, the publication of details could jeopardize the investigation.
“The success of the investigations is more important than the realization of the public’s right to know,” he said.
Echoing Mandelblit, Nitzan also said outside pressures would not influence the investigation, including the protests near Mandelblit’s home in Petah Tivka.
The attorney general is currently overseeing two separate criminal investigations against Netanyahu, known as Case 1000 and Case 2000.
In Case 1000, Netanyahu and his wife Sara are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from billionaire benefactors, most notably hundreds of thousands of shekels’ worth of cigars and champagne from the Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan.
Case 2000 involves a suspected illicit quid pro quo deal between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon “Noni” Mozes that would have seen the prime minister hobble a rival daily, the Sheldon Adelson-backed Israel Hayom, through Knesset legislation in return for more favorable coverage from Yedioth.
Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing.
The demonstrations were first kick-started by Menny Naftali, a former caretaker at the Prime Minister’s Residence, who has in the past alleged he was verbally and physically abused by the prime minister’s wife during his employment. In February he was awarded NIS 170,000 (about $43,735) in damages after a labor court accepted his claims.
Last week, Naftali denied reports that he may become a state’s witness in a separate police investigation into Sara Netanyahu for allegedly diverting public money for her private housekeeping expenses.
Raoul Wootliff contributed to this report.
