Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected corruption charges and filed for plea weeks before the country’s election. He was convicted of fraud charges last year, along with charges stating the breach of trust and bribery. He was accused of accepting lavish gifts from wealthy friends and offering to grant favours to powerful media moguls in exchange for favourable coverage of him and his family n the media. The latest hearing was postponed last month due to lockdown restrictions on public gatherings.
In regard to the corruption charges and the conviction, he has pleaded innocence. He has refused to step down, despite the mounting charges and accusations against him. It is to be noted that he is the longest-serving PM of the Israel and also the first sitting Israeli PM to be tried in court.
Meanwhile, protests against him are rampant in the country, and citizens have taken to the streets demanding a change in leadership. The group called “The Pink Front” took to streets to protest against the current Prime Minister and demanded his resignation over corruption allegations, which he has repeatedly declined. Many carried banners which had the words “Crime Minister” written on them.
As the polls are approaching, Netanyahu hopes to campaign on having pulled the country out of the pandemic through one of the world’s most successful vaccination campaigns. He boasts of having personally secured millions of doses from major drug-makers and assures to vaccinate a major part of the population before the polls.
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