Likud MK Yisrael Katz said in closed talks with Likud activists that party leader Benjamin Netanyahu is on his way out, amid the talks about a plea bargain between Netanyahu’s attorneys and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.
According to a report in Kan 11 News on Wednesday evening, Katz made clear in talks with activists that he intends to run for the position of interim chairman of the party, and that he believes that he will be able to form a government even before the primaries in which the permanent chairman will be elected.
Katz’s office said in response, "This never happened."
Meanwhile on Wednesday, Netanyahu held lengthy consultations with his lawyers regarding the plea bargain, and consultations were also held with his relatives and associates and advisers. All the details and all the possibilities were examined at the meetings. However, no progress has been made so far, and in fact there is no real negotiation or new agreed upon outline.
The assessment on both sides is that they are closer to a game of accusations than to a decision on an arrangement, and in any case, the next few days are crucial in knowing whether there is a chance for a settlement or not - with each passing day reducing the chance of a deal being signed.