Netanyahu backtracks on bill which would hinder corruption probe
Israeli prime minister forced to u-turn on a law which would stall progress on the investigation into himself and his wife Sara
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had to backtrack on a bill that would have stymied police corruption investigations into him and his wife Sara.
Netanyahu’s forced about-turn on the controversial ‘recommendations bill’ came after tens of thousands of Israelis lined the streets of Tel Aviv for an anti-corruption rally, chanting “shame” in the country’s biggest mass protest in years.
The couple, who are being investigated for accepting expensive gifts from billionaire friends, have been at war with the media in recent months, with leaks emerging from inside the investigation.
His allies in Likud have sought to shore up his flagging popularity with promotional events, while the ‘recommendations bill’ would end the current police practice of recommending to prosecutors whether suspects should be indicted, and punish those found leaking details to the media.
Critics said he was using his position to pour cold water on the investigations, but after the enormous crowd in Israel’s cosmopolitan heart this weekend, he said the bill should “be worded in a way that it won’t apply to the investigation taking place into my affairs”.
Blaming the opposition, he wrote on Facebook: “Unfortunately, the debate over the bill has turned into a political weapon against an elected government.”
Police are examining whether Netanyahu agreed to hobble a newspaper’s competitor in return for favourable coverage, as well as a secretive deal to buy German nuclear submarines involving the prime minister’s lawyer.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
