Judges in Netanyahu trial urge plea bargain, reportedly tell prosecutors that bribery charge hard to prove

The judges who are handling the protracted corruption trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the prosecution that the bribery charge will be difficult to prove, according to the Israeli Channel 13 news. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate corruption cases.

The judges reportedly also urged both sides to accept a plea bargain or mediation “for the sake of the country.”

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, a close Netanyahu ally, blasted the ongoing trial against the prime minister as “seven years, five election campaigns, political chaos, endless hatred.”

“Indescribable shaming against a man who has dedicated his life to Israel’s rise,” Chikli said.

“I’m proud to stand on the side of truth,” added the minister.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also expressed his support for Netanyahu.

“It’s like Bibi says: ‘There will be nothing because there is nothing,’” Ben Gvir said, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

Former Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who has emerged as a vocal Netanyahu critic, says he is in favor of a plea agreement.

"My position has long been that it is right, considering all the considerations, to end Netanyahu's trial with a plea agreement. Now it is appropriate for the prosecution to listen to the court's messages and show readiness for such a negotiation. The public interest in its broadest sense is to end this long-standing saga with a plea agreement," stated Sa’ar.

However, the prosecution team has vowed that the bribery charge will remain, despite the legal challenges of proving it in court.

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, who has the final say on the prosecution’s position, reportedly said that “no circumstance had changed” and the prosecution still rejects the prospect of a criminal arbitration with Netanyahu’s defense lawyers.

If no plea deal is reached between the two sides, the already protracted Netanyahu trial could potentially continue for several more years.