11.21.2019

Ronen Bergman Discusses Netanyahu’s Criminal Indictment

Today, Benjamin Netanyahu became Israel’s first sitting prime minister to face a criminal indictment, with the attorney general announcing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu is being accused in three different corruption cases, but denies any wrongdoing. Investigative journalist Ronen Bergman joins the program to explain what this means for Netanyahu and Israel.

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THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS GONE ON TELEVISION TO PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

DOES THAT MEAN THE INDICTMENTS HAVEN'T FORMALLY BEEN HANDED DOWN YET?

THEY WILL BE HANDED OVER TOMORROW, DAY AFTER TOMORROW, BUT IT'S IMMINENT.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS ALREADY INFORMED THE PUBLIC BACK IN FEBRUARY THAT HE'S GOING TO DO THAT.

BUT HE HAS WAITED UNTIL THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE PRIME MINISTER LAID IN FRONT OF THEM THEIR CLAIMS WHY HE WAS WRONG.

AND NOW WE KNOW HE DID NOT ACCEPT ANY OF THEIR CLAIMS.

AND WHAT HE'S GOING TO SUBMIT TO THE DISTRICT COURT PROBABLY IN JERUSALEM TOMORROW IS IDENTICAL TO WHAT WE SAW IN THE BEGINNING.

HE BELIEVES THAT THEY WERE WRONG.

HE'S RIGHT.

AND NETANYAHU IS GOING TO BE CHARGED IN THREE VERY SEVERE CASES IN A MULTI-BRIBERY AND BREACH OF TRUST AND FRAUD IN THESE THREE CASES.

AND THIS IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING TOMORROW AND OF COURSE ACCELERATING THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND POLITICAL CRISIS IN WHICH ISRAEL STANDS TODAY.

EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW FIRST AND FOREMOST WHAT DOES ISRAEL'S SYSTEM SAY ABOUT WHETHER A PRIME MINISTER -- OF COURSE THIS UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION -- WHO FACES SUCH CRIMINAL CHARGES CAN CONTINUE AS PRIME MINISTER OR EVEN LEADER OF THE PARTY GIVEN, AS YOU MENTIONED A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS WITH NO GOVERNMENT IN PLACE AND HE WANTS TO CONTEST ANOTHER ELECTION.

WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?

THE FIRST, THIS IS A VERY SAD DAY FOR ISRAEL, FIRST ACTING PRIME MINISTER CHARGED IN ANYTHING, AND ESPECIALLY THESE SEVERE ACTS.

AND ALSO A VERY PERSONAL TRAGEDY FOR NETANYAHU BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO TURNED STATE WITNESS AGAINST HIM ARE ALL PEOPLE HE APPOINTED AND THE POLICE COMMISSIONER WHO RAN THE INVESTIGATION AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, ALL HIS OWN PEOPLE WHICH HE APPOINTED AND FOUGHT TO BE TAKING THIS JOB.

TO YOUR QUESTION, THE LEGAL SITUATION IS NOT CLEAR BECAUSE IT NEVER HAPPENED IN THE PAST.

AND IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MAYBE THE PRESIDENT, TO DECIDE IF THEY ARE ABLE OR THEY WILL ENABLE MR. NETANYAHU TO RUN AGAIN.

WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE THIRD ELECTION COMING SOON.

AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM MAY BE SOMEONE FROM THE PARTY OF MR. NETANYAHU WILL SAY THAT'S ENOUGH.

I'LL CHALLENGE MR. NETANYAHU.

I'LL CALL YOU TO GO HOME AND FIGHT YOUR LEGAL WARS.

YOU CANNOT RUN THIS GOVERNMENT, YOU CANNOT RUN THIS STATE ANYMORE.

AND I WILL TAKE IT FROM NOW.

IF THAT HAPPENS IN WHERE WE ARE NOW WHERE ELECTIONS ARE NOT YET CALLED, THEN WHEN IT'S NOT NETANYAHU COULD SERIOUSLY NEGOTIATE THE UNITY GOVERNMENT WITH THE MAIN POSITION BLUE AND WHITE.

About This Episode EXPAND

Ronen Bergman speaks to Christiane Amanpour about Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal indictment, Russ Feingold analyzes Wednesday’s democratic debate and the latest impeachment proceedings and Dickie Arbiter and Afua Hirsch discuss scrutiny facing the Royal Family. Lesley Stahl tells Walter Isaacson how the Watergate scandal changed both her career and the course of American history.

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