Miki Zohar
Miki ZoharYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

MK Miki Zohar (Likud) on Monday said that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should remain in office even if he is indicted.

"There is political persecution here and if you look at things seriously, beyond what is presented in the media and on the left, there are two suspicions here: Receiving gifts from someone who has been your friend for 30 years and you give him nothing in return, and having a conversation with a newspaper publisher who defames you and your family and you ask him to stop," Zohar told Arutz Sheva.

“This is no reason for a Prime Minister to end his term in office,” argued Zohar. “The State of Israel is not a country that can afford to lose a Prime Minister such as this, who operates at the security level, at the economic level and at the international level in the best possible way. I call on the Prime Minister and tell him, ‘Even if they decide to file an indictment against you, you must not leave office. You have to continue fighting. This is political persecution.’”

The people of Israel support Netanyahu, even if their voices are not heard in the media, he insisted. "The Prime Minister received the trust of the people, close to a million people voted for him and for the Likud, and this fact only reinforces my argument that he must not resign."

"I know that the constant pressure on the Attorney General and the police, from both the media and the left, is likely to lead to a decision to file an indictment, even though there is no need to file an indictment on these issues and you can make do with a hearing or some warning. If an indictment is filed, the Prime Minister must not resign and we will fight for that," said Zohar, praising members of the Likud who stood up for Netanyahu.

"I think it is good that the ministers and MKs are coming to the defense of the Prime Minister. This is something that has been going on in the Likud for years, unlike other parties where the knives are always drawn and the moment the blood comes out, everyone immediately starts to rejoice. We work differently in the Likud. Of course there is competition, but there is also mutual respect and friendship among the members of the government, and that’s a good thing."