Coalition chairman goes rogue after recordings of Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit surface that Likud MKs say proves that PM Netanyahu is being persecuted for political purposes.
By ILH Staff
Coalition chairman Miki Zohar and Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit | File photo: Oren Cohen, Gideon Markowicz
Coalition chairman MK Miki Zohar (Likud) is saying that unless Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit resigns and cancels the indictments against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud will “expose him.” He later clarified that this was in no way designed as a threat aimed at intimidating the senior law enforcement official.
Zohar gave an interview to Radio 103FM on Wednesday following a report by Channel 12 News that ran recordings of conversations between Mendelblit and former head of the Israel Bar Association Effi Naveh several months before Naveh was appointed to that position.
Naveh has since stepped down following involvement in a scandal of his own in which he allegedly arranged judicial appointments in exchange for sexual favors.
In the recordings, Mendelblit is heard voicing harsh criticism against former State Attorney Shai Nitzan for, according to Mendelblit, failing to make a decision about the Harpaz affair, in which the attorney general is being investigated.
Until now, claims floating around that Nitzan was allegedly “extorting” Mendelblit to get him to indict Netanyahu were considered fringe conspiracy theories.
“Do you understand that [jerk] isn’t making a decision in my case? He’s doing it to me on purpose. I don’t know what to do,” Mendelblit says.
In the recording, Mendelblit tells Naveh, “The ones who stitched me up were [acting attorney general] Dina Zilber and Shai Nitzan.”
The authority to close the investigation against Mendelblit lies with the state attorney. Nitzan let the matter go, and as of now, no decision has been made.
After the recordings were made public, Likud MKs took a stand against Mendelblit, with Zohar leading the charge. The MKs are claimingthat Mendelblit’s remarks prove Likud members’ claims that Netanyahu is being persecuted on political grounds.
“Shai Nitzan is a radical left-wing winger who wanted the prime minister out of office,” the MKs said.
“Everything is clear now, and I’m telling you that this is the tip of the iceberg. If Mendelblit doesn’t resign and cancel the indictments, we will expose more,” Zohar said in the interview Wednesday.
“Shai Nitzan has more information that could put Mendelblit behind bars,” Zohar added.
Representatives of Netanyahu issued a statement in response to the Zohar interview: “MK Miki Zohar’s remarks were made without the prime minister’s knowledge, and do not reflect his opinion. The prime minister has not discussed this matter with MK Zohar. The prime minister has reservations about these remarks, which he does not find acceptable.”
Later Wednesday, Zohar clarified his remarks and said, “I didn’t threaten Mendelblit. If he has any self-respect, given what has come to light, he should resign. It’s time for us stop being afraid of the legal system. We don’t need to fear them anymore. The things that have been exposed in the past few months show total corruption, and cases being made up.”
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