Netanyahu to ask Israeli parliament for immunity from criminal charges

JERUSALEM— Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that he would ask the Israeli parliament to grant him immunity in three criminal cases, tying up further the already lengthy legal proceedings against him in a political system that has been gripped by deadlock for the past year.

Netanyahu’s immunity request to the Knesset would shield him from prosecution at least while he remains in office. It also pitches the country’s political establishment against the legal system ahead of an unprecedented third general election in less than a year. That election is set for March 2.

Twice in 2019 Netanyahu failed to form a government following earlier rounds of voting in April and September. Part of the stalemate is the reluctance of his political rival, Benny Gantz — former military chief of staff and head of the centrist Blue and White faction — to join a coalition with a leader charged with crimes.

In November, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit concluded that there was enough evidence to prosecute Netanyahu in three cases involving allegations that he and his wife, Sara, accepted more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods in exchange for political favors and that he interceded with regulators and lawmakers on behalf of two media companies in exchange for positive news coverage.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/netanyahu-to-ask-israeli-parliament-for-immunity-from-criminal-charges/ar-BBYwzO6?li=BBnbcA1