Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out against the country’s Attorney-General, Avichai Mandelblit, on his Facebook page on Tuesday evening by claiming the A-G's “scheme to overthrow governm ent” had been exposed “with all its ugliness.”
Netanyahu, who appointed Mandelblit in 2016, included a tweet by News 13 reporter Aviad Glickman, in which it's stated, citing sources in the legal community, that if Netanayhu “wants to accept a gift to the tune of NIS ten million, by all means let him quit his office in dignity and then he could accept even NIS 20 million.”
The tweet was made in response to the A-G telling the comptroller committee it should not approve Netanyahu’s request for up to NIS 10 million of his legal fees in his public corruption trial to be funded by American tycoon ally Spencer Partrich.
The post by Netanyahu goes on to argue that the “top officials in the Justice Ministry called on him “to resign” so he can defend himself against “made up charges sewn together by Mandelblit,” claiming that the A-G is trying to sabotage the will of “millions of Israelis” who voted for Netanyahu and against the ruling of the Supreme Court.The Supreme Court ruled that Netanyahu may serve while suspected of accounts of corruption and breach of trust.
Head of the State Attorney Association Orit Korin said in response that "red lines are being crossed every day" and called on the personal attacks against the A-G to end.
"We need a leadership that will put a stop to this pandemonium," she said. She also warned that "this could end in tragedy."
Netanyahu has argued in the past that all the allegations against him will prove to contain nothing “because nothing happened.” He also argued that “it is permissible to receive presents from friends”.
Netanyahu appealed the decision in order to be allowed to accept money from people he knows with which to pay his lawyers several times.