"Benjamin Netanyahu is the first sitting prime minister in Israel to stand trial after being accused of corruption, but he is hardly the only one to have been mired in such scandals. Nearly all Israeli prime ministers since 1996, including Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, and Ehud Olmert, alongside Netanyahu, have been investigated on charges of corruption, as have several other cabinet ministers, Knesset members, and mayors."
"Here is an overview of the major corruption scandals in Israel over the past two decades. The sitting prime minister of Israel was indicted in three cases known as 1000, 2000, and 4000 for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, involving allegedly accepting illicit gifts and trading regulatory favours for positive media coverage. The trial is ongoing. Netanyahu admits to taking gifts but claims no favours were returned."
"Olmert resigned in 2008 staying on in a caretaker capacity for a few months before he could be indicted after a US businessman, Morris Talansky, testified about giving Olmert cash-stuffed envelopes in the 1990s for political and personal expenses. Olmert was convicted of breach of trust in July 2012, of bribery in March 2014, and of breach of trust in March 2015. His six-year sentence was reduced to 18 months in December 2015."
Multiple Israeli prime ministers and senior officials have faced long-running corruption investigations and prosecutions since 1996. The sitting prime minister was indicted in three cases—1000, 2000 and 4000—on charges including bribery, fraud and breach of trust tied to illicit gifts and alleged regulatory favours for media coverage; the trial remains ongoing and a formal pardon request was submitted. Ehud Olmert resigned in 2008 amid evidence of cash payments, was later convicted of breach of trust and bribery, and had his sentence reduced to 18 months. Ariel Sharon and other leaders have also faced bribery and misconduct probes.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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