AG Mandelblit rejects 'attempts to drive wedge between law enforcement authorities'
Offering first public comments on police's recommendations to indict PM Netanyahu for bribery, AG Mandelblit says he unequivocally rejects insinuations that anyone involved in investigations had non-professional motives; 'I have no professional qualms about indicting anyone,' AG iterates.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit provided his first public comments Thursday evening on the police recommendations to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bribery. Mandelblit said he saw attempts to drive a wedge between his office and the police, and reiterated they worked in perfect lockstep.
"Our goal is of paramount importance: to ensure the rule of law in the State of Israel," the attorney general added. "Turning every stone to discover and make public the truth."
Speaking at an event organized by the Friends of Tel Aviv University and the magazine Liberal, Mandelblit said the prime minister's investigations were "managed by the book, in precisely the fashion expected of law enforcement—with professionalism, thoroughness and creativity."
"I suggesting taking such publications of tensions of conflict with more than a grain of salt," the attorney general advised his listeners.
On the inquiries themselves into the illicit gifts affair and the premier's talks with Yedioth Ahronoth owner and publisher Arnon Mozes, Mandelblit said that they were "conducted with the utmost professionalism and determination, with a single goal in mind—to reach the truth."
"Police carried out the investigations with much diligence and at the appropriate pace," he added. "Police mapped out the interests involved in the cases under review, and interrogated the relevant parties. The investigation's findings are the factual basis upon which we will make a legal decision in the future."
"Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement involved were only led by professional considerations. Demonstrations, speeches, tweets and other background noises—which accompanied the investigation throughout—were summarily ignored," Mandelblit stated.
The attorney general went on to say, "I reject unequivocally claims alleging anything other than professional motives behind the investigations, or any purpose other than discovering the truth and preserving the rule of law.
"Similarly, inspecting the evidence and reaching a decision will also be guided in a professional, forthright manner while ignoring background noises or calls to decide motivated by non-topical motives.
"We intend to carry on with this procedure without undue delay, born of an understanding of the importance of reaching a decision on these cases. I don't yet know what that decision will be, but I do know it will only be made according to both the evidence and law. No other motives will intercede."
After his prepared remarks, Mandelblit took questions from the assembled audience. Answering one question, he said, "I'm a professional. Of course it will be difficult to indict a sitting prime minister, or minister, but that is what I was brought up to do.
"I wish to discover the truth and will have no professional qualms about indicting the prime minister or anyone else. The decision is mine alone, as is the responsibility for it."
On whether the prime minister should take a leave of absence now, Mandelblit said, "It's up to him at this stage. I have made no such suggestions to him. While the (police's) recommendations do mean something, they have no legal power (of their own). If we get to that point, we'll have to reexamine the matter."
Earlier Thursday, the prime minister himself commented once again on the police's recommendations before taking off for the Munich Security Conference. "My wife and I were taken aback by the support, sympathy and warmth so many Israeli citizens showed us," the premier said.
"I will continue serving them, and our country, with responsibility, determination and a great confidence, because I'm positive the truth will win in the end," he stated.
The Justice Ministry issued an unusual official statement on Thursday, stressing the Attorney General and State Attorney's Office "are working in full coordination and excellent cooperation with the Israel Police" amid criticism of the police's conduct during investigations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"For the avoidance of doubt, the Israel Police's announcement about the completion of the investigation in cases 1000 and 2000 was done in accordance with the attorney general's instruction 4.1003, which deals with 'Guidelines to law enforcement authorities on releasing information on investigations.' The announcement was done with the advance approval of the attorney general and the state attorney, as it required and customary," the Justice Ministry statement said.
"The legal position concerning these cases will be formulated only after a thorough examination by prosecution officials of the evidence gathered in the investigation," the ministry further noted.
Channel 2 journalist Guy Peleg reported on Wednesday that Justice Ministry officials had criticized the police's recommendations to indict Netanyahu, claiming the police put Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in an impossible situation. "Any withdrawal from the recommendations, even the smallest one, would appear like a collapse."
Justice Ministry and the State Attorney's Office officials also reportedly said that "not everything being claimed in the recommendations has evidence to back it up... the case is only 95 percent baked and not ready to be transferred (to the prosecution) at this time."
The minister tasked with overseeing the police—Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan—also lent his voice in support of their work Wednesday afternoon during a Knesset plenum session.
Erdan said that while he backed the police, he stressed Mandelblit's final decision should be awaited, and that in the meantime Netanyahu still enjoyed the presumption of innocence.
Arnon Mozes is the publisher and owner of Yedioth Ahronoth Group, which includes Ynet and Ynetnews.
