MK Oren Hazan (Likud) has called on Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to freeze the multiple police investigations against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu due to the escalating security situation with Iran.
Hazan said that "During the current sensitive security reality, being a prime minister should be a full-time job," alleging that Netanyahu should be free to devote his energy to dealing with Israel's enemies.
"Attorney General Mandelblit, this is not a time for investigations - freeze them until this confrontation ends," said Hazan.
Netanyahu is being investigated by police in a two separate probes. In February, investigators announced that they believed sufficient evidence had been collected to merit indictments against the Prime Minister in two separate corruption cases known as “Case 1000” and “Case 2000”.
Hazan has reiterated numerous times that a prime minister cannot be allowed to remain in office with multiple investigations distracting him from his duty of running the country. In February, Hazan called on Netanyahu to resign after police recommended that he be tried in "Case 1000" and "2000".
"A year ago, I said that if an indictment is filed against the prime minister, he would have to take a leave of absence, and the Likud movement, which received a mandate to lead the country, would have to appoint someone else from among its members," Hazan told Ynet. "Today, I say the prime minister needs to step aside at this time and take care of his issues."
However, Netanyahu denied that the investigations distracted him from daily functioning as prime minister. "I can't say that I like it, but it doesn't detract from my responsibilities, because I work my usual 16-hour days, and I just do it," said Netanyahu at the AIPAC conference in March. "My hands are full, and I'm very satisfied with what I do."