Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday afternoon, before the start of Shabbat, posted a video to his Facebook page in which he responded to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit’s opinion that it would be possible to make a decision in the investigations against him before the April elections.
"It appears as though the Attorney General has succumbed to pressure from the left and the media. They are pressing to indict me at all costs, even when there is nothing, as long as it happens before the elections,” said Netanyahu.
“One of the most fateful decisions in the history of the state, a decision that could lead to the rise of the left to power, is being made in haste and at a record speed,” he warned.
Netanyahu quoted sources in the State Attorney’s Office who told the Globes newspaper, "Even if Mandelblit wanted to, he would not have time to read all the materials gathered in the interrogations. He makes do with reading summaries and opinions of the State Attorney's Office.”
“That’s absurd,” said Netanyahu.
"One can only hope that the pressure of the left will not work again, when the Attorney General will be asked whether two and a half articles on the Internet are considered a bribe. Totally ridiculous. In any case, I am certain of my innocence and I am certain that the truth will come to light,” he concluded.
Watch Netanyahu’s video below (in Hebrew):
Earlier on Friday, Mandelblit announced that there is no reason not to make a decision regarding Netanyahu's investigations before the elections, and that delaying the publication of the decision will harm the principle of equality and the public's right to know.
With the announcement, the Attorney General rejected the request of Netanyahu's lawyers who asked to postpone the publication of his decision until after April 9. The attorneys are now considering petitioning the Supreme Court against his decision, which Mandelblit noted would not be made public in the next two weeks.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
