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Could Netanyahu opt for plea bargain?

Despite declarations made in the past by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a plea bargain, it seems that such a deal might now be on the table.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sits in the Knesset before parliament votes to approve the new government, Jerusalem, June 13, 2021.

Any film script based on this real-life drama would be categorized as science fiction or fantasy. Two weeks to the end of his six-year term, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are facing off for a final duel. Israelis of all stripes are watching, some with trepidation, others with hope. Secret negotiations first revealed this week would end Netanyahu’s trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust with a plea bargain.

Israelis are once again torn between those eager to be rid of Netanyahu at all cost, those who want him convicted by a court of law and those who believe the legal system is persecuting their revered leader. The ball is in Netanyahu’s court, or more precisely in the hands of the family board members: Netanyahu, his wife Sara Netanyahu and their son, Yair.

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