Report: Prosecution to recommend indicting PM ‎Netanyahu for bribery ‎

State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan reportedly favors ‎indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‎on ‎bribery charges in Case 2,000 and Case 4,000, Channel 10 ‎News reported Wednesday.‎

Case 2,000, centers on conversations Netanyahu had ‎with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes, during ‎which they allegedly discussed striking an illicit ‎deal whereby Yedioth would soften its aggressive ‎anti-Netanyahu stance in return for the prime ‎minister using his influence to curtail Israel ‎Hayom's activities in ways that would benefit ‎Yedioth financially.‎

Case 4,000 focuses on potentially illicit dealings ‎and conflicts of interest involving Israeli telecom ‎corporation Bezeq and the Walla news website, which ‎Bezeq owns. The police allege that Bezeq controlling ‎shareholder Shaul Elovitch ensured positive coverage of Netanyahu and his family ‎by Walla in exchange for the prime ‎minister promoting government regulation worth ‎hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq.

According to the report, the State Attorney's Office ‎plans to make similar recommendations in a third ‎corruption case involving the prime minister – Case ‎‎1,000 – which centers on gifts Netanyahu and his ‎wife, Sara, allegedly received from Hollywood ‎producer Arnon Milchan and Australian tycoon James ‎Packer.

Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit will have the ‎final say whether charges are in fact filed against the prime minister.

Speaking at business conference in Tel Aviv Wednesday, Nitzan ‎said the ‎‎‎deliberations on the cases involving ‎the prime ‎‎‎minister would conclude ‎"very soon."

‎"We've had very thorough discussions on ‎the subject ‎and the legal briefs comprise more than ‎‎800 pages," he said. ‎

‎"We have spared no effort to study the circumstances ‎of every case. The attorney general will begin ‎his own deliberations on the matter in the next few ‎days, and we'll discuss the ‎complex evidentiary and ‎legal challenges arising from ‎these cases."‎

A statement by the Prime Minister's Office said, ‎‎"The leaks to the media are designed to create the ‎kind of unacceptable pressure that would generate an ‎indictment against the prime minister at any cost."

"‎We are certain that once the evidence is examined ‎independently from any of the distractions in the ‎background, it will prove that nothing illicit ‎transpired," the statement said. ‎