Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, is holding up negotiations aimed at reaching a plea bargain for the former prime minister, according to a report by Channel 13 Sunday evening.
Sara Netanyahu is reportedly the primary opponent in the Netanyahu camp of the arrangement being drawn up between her husband and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit; in particular, the latter’s insistence that Netanyahu resign from the Knesset and leave politics for an extended period of time.
Netanyahu’s attorneys are reportedly backing the plea bargain, while some staff members close to Attorney General Mandelblit support prosecuting the case without a plea bargain arrangement.
Mandelblit is said to be strongly in favor of the plea bargain, provided it includes Netanyahu’s resulting conviction being designated as moral turpitude, thus potentially imperiling his return to politics.
The Opposition Leader is expected to reach a decision with his wife and son, Yair Netanyahu, on the plea bargain in the next two to three days. No agreement is expected, however, with prosecutors this week, even if Netanyahu decides to accept a plea bargain.