Netanyahu could be suspended as PM, Israel Attorney General says

People gather in front of the parliament building to stage a protest the restriction on demonstrations against the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 24, 2020 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be suspended from his post if he used his authority to influence criminal proceedings he is facing in court, the Times of Israel reported today.

Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit, who has previously said that Netanyahu does not have to step down, told the ultra-Orthodox Mishpacha magazine he could be suspended due to a conflict of interest.

“When you use your executive power as prime minister to influence your criminal [cases], that creates a serious problem,” Mandelblit was reported as saying in recordings aired by Israeli TV Channel 12.

“How do you handle that problem?” Mandelblit asked, noting: “It’s not math. I’m not rushing to anything, and I’m trying to be very considerate and very calm.”

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