Netanyahu's lawyers say the odds for a plea deal are low
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The Israeli former Prime Minister's lawyers are saying that the possibility of him agreeing to a plea deal before the current attorney general's departure is low.
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Netanyahu's days in the political sphere seem numbered
It seems unlikely that former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will reach a plea deal with the current Israeli attorney general, Netanyahu's lawyers said.
Reports from both the prosecution and defense seem to indicate that the gaps between the two sides are too wide to bridge in the 11 days Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has left.
Netanyahu's refusal is due to a "moral turpitude" clause, which if Netanyahu agrees to, will lead to barring him from political life for seven years, effectively ending his political career. The plea deal would also require the ex-PM to serve seven to nine months of community service.
It seems that Mandelblit's conditions or an agreement are the following: Netanyahu will admit to fraud and breach of trust in cases 1000 and 4000; he will accept the designation of moral turpitude, will be sentenced to seven to nine months of community service, and admit to having instructed former Communications Ministry director Shlomo Filber to provide benefits to the controlling shareholder of the Bezeq media company, Shaul Elovitch, in exchange for positive coverage on Walla! News, which is the main accusation against the former PM in case 4000.
Poll: Israeli public against Netanyahu plea bargain
Israeli media released polls on Sunday that suggest that most Israelis do not support a plea bargain for Netanyahu.
He previously claimed the charges were part of a "political witch hunt" and personally attacked the prosecution, alleging the Israeli police was also part of the conspiracy.
According to a Kan poll, 49 percent of those who responded believed Netanyahu's cases should be given sentencing, compared to 28 percent that supports a plea bargain.
The majority of those polled believe Netanyahu is guilty of the charges.
