Israel begins Netanyahu's pre-indictment corruption hearing

Before it started, his main rival called off last-minute talks on a unity government after last month's election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to a nomination ceremony at Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's residence in Jerusalem September 25, 2019. Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-awaited pre-indictment hearing on corruption charges began on Wednesday in Jerusalem, as the country eagerly sought clarity on his legal standing amid the stalemate that followed the country's second inconclusive election of the year.

Israel's attorney general has recommended charging Mr Netanyahu with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases. Mr Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing, calling them part of a media-orchestrated witch hunt. The allegations against him include suspicions that he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of champagne and cigars from billionaire friends, offered a critical publisher legislation that would weaken his paper's main rival in return for softer treatment and allegedly used his influence to help a wealthy telecom magnate in exchange for favorable coverage on a popular news site. The investigations are dubbed Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000.

Mr Netanyahu has long promised he'd clear his name in the hearing. A team of his lawyers arrived at the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem to argue that all charges should be dropped. Any decision on his indictment is likely to come later in the year.

It began a day after the party of Israel's ex-military chief Benny Gantz on Tuesday pulled out of planned talks on forming a unity government with main rival Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following deadlocked elections.

Representatives of the centrist Blue and White alliance were set to meet Wednesday with counterparts from Mr Netanyahu's right-wing Likud, followed by a face-to-face encounter between the two rivals.

But on Tuesday night, following a two-day holiday to mark the Jewish New Year, Mr Gantz's party announced it had cancelled the talks.

"At this stage, the pre-conditions upon which any further meetings between the negotiating teams may take place have not been met," Blue and White said in a statement.

"In view of this, no meeting will be held on Wednesday," it added, without ruling out talks at a later date.

"When deemed appropriate and necessary, an additional meeting will be scheduled for this week or next," the party said, adding that the head-to-head with Mr Netanyahu had also been called off.

Mr Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to go through a pre-indictment hearing process.

Ehud Olmert, facing corruption allegations, quit as Israel's leader in 2008 before such sessions could be held or any indictment filed. He was eventually charged and convicted of accepting bribes, and served 16 months in jail before his release in 2017.