Statement by IDI on the Attorney General's Announcement

As events unfold, IDI puts out a statement on the Attorney General's breaking announcement to indict Prime Minister Netanayhau

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Any prime minister attempting to perform his official duties while under indictment will create an intolerable and unacceptable reality. There is a concern that every decision the Prime Minister now makes could be interpreted as being made due to inappropriate motives. There is also the danger that this situation will lead to the Prime Minister, while serving in office, will continuously castigate the country's institutions of law and order.

While there are different interpretations of the law in regards to when the Prime Minister will need to step aside, there is no doubt that the head of government serving in office under the shadow of indictment harms the public's trust in the country's institutions and Israel's character as a Jewish and democratic state.

Public norms demand that the Prime Minister must resign from office and focus on proving his innocence. 

Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute:

"This decision raises questions about the President's authority to once again grant the mandate to form the government to the Prime Minister. In addition, decisions about the political future of the Prime Minister in this new reality should not be left only to the legal system. The Israeli public, and its elected officials, have the responsibility to make their voices heard and stand up to any attempt to delegitimize the legal system. Criticizing this decision is of course legitimate, but it is vital that we recall that Israel is blessed with a legal system that enforces the law in a fair and equal manner on all of its citizens – the strong and weak alike. This is a source of immense pride for our country and should remain so."