Netanyahu’s Plea Deal Seems Impossible as AG’s Departure Draws Nearer

In recent news, sources have revealed that the negotiations for the plea deal between the state prosecution and the former Prime Minister of the State of Israel are in dire straits. People are of the opinion that it is highly unlikely that a deal will be struck between the two parties. The leader of the opposition had a meeting with his lawyers, which was held at Boaz Ben Zur’s office. The meeting went on for a couple of hours as the former Prime Minister talked about the conditions of the plea agreement. Several reports further surfaced revealing that there are various gaps that exist between the two parties involved. 

Sources believe that there is too many difference that needs to be resolved before the tenure of Avichai Mandelblit, the Attorney-General, ends. He is seen as the primary figure for helping secure a plea deal between the state prosecution and Netanyahu. Moreover, associates of the Attorney-General believe that it is almost impossible to reach an agreement in time. One reliable source especially said that nothing has been done so far and nothing will be done in the near future. The Israeli media also took to reporting that both, Netanyahu’s lawyers and people in the AG’s office believe that no agreement will be reached regarding the plea deal. 

Instead, Mandelblit will be long gone before the clauses of the agreement can be fully figured out. Sources close to the former Prime Minister states that the Attorney-General had reevaluated the brokering of the deal soon after he received heavy criticism from the state prosecution. According to many experts, the time has run out for Netanyahu to save face and get away with a lighter sentence than what he deserves for the crimes he is being accused of. On the other hand, the opposition leader’s team is quite frustrated with how things are turning out. It believes that if Mandelblit had not gotten cold feet, the deal could have still gone through. 

According to various sources, there is also a division between the former Prime Minister’s attorneys. A report surfaced revealing that Amit Hadad and Ben Zur are of the opinion that the plea bargain is nothing more than a dream deal. On another note, the family attorney to the Netanyahus, Yossi Cohen, believes that agreeing to this arrangement would be a mistake for the former Prime Minister, as he will be pleading guilty and tainting his legacy once and for all. The attorneys also revealed that the latest agreement they received included a clause for moral turpitude, which would prevent the opposition leader from running for public office in the next seven years. 

Moreover, the arrangement drawn up by the prosecutors and Mandelblit would further require Netanyahu to perform community service for at least seven months and a maximum of nine months. Sources also believe that Mandelblit is no longer committed to permitting trial judges to give rulings regarding the clause for moral turpitude. Instead, he wants to ensure that it is agreed upon upfront, given that it is an important part of the plea deal.