Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit on Sunday again rebuffed criticism over the way law enforcement has been dealing with the various cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that the investigations "are being held in a highly professional manner and have been conducted as such every step of the way. Any claim of 'persecution' or a 'frame-up' is utterly baseless."
Speaking at a Herzliya Conference symposium, Mendelblit addressed the threats made against State Attorney Shai Nitzan and lead Netanyahu case lawyer Liat Ben Ari, saying, "No one is going to intimidate us. We will not be deterred."
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Netanyahu is currently implicated in three corruption cases: Case 1000, which centers on gifts Netanyahu allegedly received from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer; Case 2000, which focuses on an illicit deal Netanyahu allegedly tried to strike with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes to ensure positive coverage; and Case 4000, which centers on an alleged deal by which Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israeli telecom corporation Bezeq, ensured positive coverage of the Netanyahu family by the Walla news website, which Bezeq owns, in exchange for the prime minister promoting government regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the company.
The attorney general further underscored the importance of judicial resilience, saying it was an "inseparable part of the State of Israel's resilience and … fighting the attacks it finds itself under is a vital public interest.
"The feeling among the public that the judiciary is facing a tangible threat stems from several parallel processes, which all seek to significantly undermine the institutions tasked with protecting judicial resilience."
Addressing the October hearing set for the prime minister in the cases against him, Mendelblit said, "I lend great importance to the hearing process set for the prime minister. Any argument made will be heard with an open heart and a willing soul. The issues will receive due consideration and any decisions that follow will be made, as they have been thus far, based solely on the evidence. No one will divert us from the straight path – not the protesters nor the critics."
For over a year now, there have been weekly protests and rallies outside Mendelblit's home, with protesters demanding the attorney general stop "dragging his feet" and press criminal charges against Netanyahu. The attorney general has also been the target of scathing criticism by Netanyahu supporters, who claim that the Attorney General's Office's prolonged investigation was "playing into the Left's hands" and aiding its attempts to topple the right-wing government.
