Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was urged to stand his ground Thursday against an “outrageous” slew of corruption allegations, with political commentator Mark Levin backing him to fight what he called a “corrupt investigation.”
Levin took to Twitter to urge Israel’s leader not to back down:
Levin’s intervention came just hours after Israel’s attorney-general formally charged Netanyahu in a series of corruption cases, as Breitbart News reported.
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit charged Netanyahu with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three different scandals. It is the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has been charged with a crime.
A characteristically combative Netanyahu responded by calling the allegations a witch hunt, pointing to the media, police, prosecutors and the justice system as being party to the attack.
In a televised speech shortly after the attorney-general’s remarks, Netanyahu — who became Israel’s longest-serving PM in July — claimed the investigation against him was tainted by bias as he strenuously maintained his innocence.
“I will continue to lead the country, according to the letter of the law, with responsibility, devotion and concern for all of our futures,” he said.
Under Israeli law, a sitting prime minister does not have to resign if accused of criminal charges — although critics and rivals demanded he step aside.
Netanyahu in July surpassed the longevity in office of the country’s founding father, David Ben Gurion, who served 4,875 days.