A former Israeli attorney general accuses Netanyahu of pushing for judicial reform to influence his corruption trial

9 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The former attorney general of Israel Avichai Mandelblit has accused the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of launching a reform of the judicial system to influence the trial opened against him for alleged corruption, charges that he himself presented against ‘Bibi’ when he held the post.

Maldelblit, who was Netanyahu’s cabinet secretary between 2013 and 2016, before being appointed to the post of attorney general, has stated in an interview with Channel 12 television that the trial against the prime minister is one of the main factors behind the reform proposal.

“I think there is something that everyone should be asking themselves,” he said, before indicating that “it is not new that (the proposals) come from Yariv Levin”, a member of the Likud and now Minister of Justice, according to the newspaper. ‘The Times of Israel’.

“Netanyahu did not appoint him (Minister of Justice) for years. Why appoint him to the position now? My assessment and opinion is that Netanyahu wants to present a situation in which his trial does not come to a proper end,” he argued. .

In this sense, he has criticized that “the independence of the justice apparatus cannot be endangered”, after his successor, Gali Baharav-Miara, indicated last week that Netanyahu should avoid “intervening in initiatives” on possible changes to the system due to a “conflict of interest” in the trial against him for alleged corruption.

Likewise, the deputy attorney general, Gil Limon, informed Baharav-Miara last week that “completing the (government’s) judicial initiatives, even partially, would result in a judicial and governmental reality that benefits the prime minister in his trial, compared to with the current situation, since the independence of the Executive Justice would be damaged”.

Israel’s coalition government, led by Netanyahu’s Likud and made up of various far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, has tried to push through laws that would allow Parliament to override Supreme Court decisions, as well as tip the balance in the Judicial Appointments Committee in favor of representatives politicians.

Netanyahu is being tried for several corruption cases, although he has denied the accusations and has spoken of a “witch hunt” and “judicial coup”. ‘Bibi’, who has managed to assemble a new government after the November legislative elections, is accused of receiving bribes, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases.

If convicted, the Israeli prime minister could file an appeal with the Supreme Court – which last week declined a request from a civil organization to declare him unfit to hold the post – a body to which the Israeli government will likely make appointments. during his tenure.