Israel: Binyamin Netanyahu's lawyers do everything to avoid prison

Avoiding prison is now the challenge for Benyamin Netanyahu.

REUTERS - Amir Cohen

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

In Israel, lawyers for former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu are negotiating a deal that would end his years-long trial.

The former head of government would recognize some of the facts of which he is accused to soften the sentence that the court will inflict on him.

According to the media in Israel, the negotiations are stalling on one point: the political future of the man the Israelis call "Bibi". 

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With our correspondent in Jerusalem, 

Michel Paul

Avoiding prison is now the challenge for Benyamin Netanyahu.

The prosecution could therefore amend the triple indictment against the former Israeli prime minister by omitting corruption.

The most serious indictments, bribes to gain favorable media coverage and gifts from billionaires would be watered down.

General interest work

In exchange for which Netanyahu would plead guilty to fraud and breach of trust, thus incurring a sentence of three to six months in prison which is systematically commuted in the Israeli legal system to community service.

But that's not all.

The former Israeli number one will also have to accept that these offenses are designated as moral turpitude, a peculiarity of the Israeli penal code which would automatically exclude him from public life for a period of seven years.

Widespread agreement

This is now, it seems, according to the media in Israel, the only point that prevents the conclusion of this plea agreement, very widespread in Anglo-Saxon law which is practiced in Israel. 

To read also: Israel: the family of Benyamin Netanyahu will no longer have close protection

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  • Binyamin Netanyahu

  • Israel

  • Justice