Israeli police to probe Netanyahu's wife over TV show allegations

By Galit Altstein

 

Israel’s attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara instructed the police to investigate following allegations made by a television program against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, according to a statement from the Justice Ministry. 

“An investigation should be opened into suspicion of witness harassment and obstruction of justice regarding the findings of the ‘Fact’ program,” the ministry said.

 

The statement didn’t mention Sara Netanyahu by name or specify who should be investigated. Later on Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video clip in which he praised her for being his “life’s support” and castigated the “toxic” Israeli media for attacking her.

 

 

The Justice Ministry statement drew strong criticism from members of Netanyahu’s cabinet, including Justice Minister Yariv Levin and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who’s in charge of the police. Both men have been pushing to fire Baharav-Miara, claiming that she was “confrontational” and attempting to deprive the government of its lawful right to rule. 

 

The acrimony escalates a lingering clash between Netanyahu and the judiciary. He tried unsuccessfully to weaken the courts before the assault by Hamas in October 2023 plunged the country into war. In recent weeks, the prime minister and some of his ministers have again raised objections regarding the courts and those they consider “the old elites.”

 

At the same time, Netanyahu stands accused in a separate case of bribery, fraud and breach of trust for demanding positive press coverage in turn for regulatory benefits and unlawfully receiving expensive gifts from business people.

 

Earlier this month, he testified at his trial, the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister defended himself in such a setting. The prime minister and his team tried repeatedly to delay the sessions, while opponents petitioned the Supreme Court asking that he be declared “temporarily incompetent” to run the country’s affairs during the testimony. 

 

His testimony had been put off since the Hamas attack and the war in Gaza that followed it.