The State submitted today to the Supreme Court its responses to petitions submitted regarding the various legal issues in which the prime minister is involved.
Responding to the petition demanding that the Attorney-General open an investigation against the prime minister on various matters, the State claimed that the petition should be dismissed. It accused the petitioners of "trying to step into the shoes of the law enforcement authorities and conduct criminal procedures in their place."
The State claimed that "this is not legitimate criticism of a concrete decision, something which is normally acceptable, but an attempt to transfer procedures being conducted by law-enforcement authorities to the Supreme Court. Additionally the petition should be viewed as part of the media campaign being conducted by the petitioners with the goal of applying pressure to law enforcement authorities to reach certain specific decisions. This cannot be allowed to happen," said the State Prosecutor.
The State emphasized in its response that "the work of the law enforcement authorities is continuing in a professional manner, ignoring outside attempts to influence its work and add irrelevant considerations to the matter. At any rate, since the original petitions were submitted, there have been new developments which changed the factual situation and enabled criminal investigations to be opened on the three issues."
The State also responded to petitions calling for Attorney General Mandelblit to disqualify himself from the investigation since he had served previously as cabinet secretary. The State emphasized that Mandelblit's position had been a professional appointment and therefore there was no basis for the claim that he could not investigate other matters affecting the government.