Israel expects decision on Netanyahu’s corruption charges today

Israel's attorney general is expected to deliver a much-anticipated decision Thursday on whether to indict Benjamin Netanyahu on a series of corruption allegations, a momentous move that looks to shake up Israel's election campaign and potentially spell the end of the prime minister's illustrious political career.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit's aides say he is prepared to announce his decision after more than two years of intense investigations and deliberations. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.

Netanyahu, the country’s second-longest serving premier, has previously pledged not to resign if indicted. Under Israeli law, he can still run in the election on 9 April because the attorney general’s decision starts a court process that is likely to remain ongoing.

During two years of intense deliberations and questionings, police have already recommended that Netanyahu, 69, be indicted for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in all three cases.

Mandelblit is expected to inform Netanyahu's lawyers he intends to indict pending a final hearing for the suspect, though the exact charges are not yet clear. The hearing is expected to take place after the elections.

An indictment would mark the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has been charged with a crime.

President Donald Trump, with whom Netanyahu has forged a close connection, offered the Israeli leader a boost ahead of the expected announcement.

"I just think he's been a great prime minister and I don't know about his difficulty but you tell me something people have been hearing about, but I don't know about that," he said in response to a question in Hanoi, where he was holding a summit with the leader of North Korea.

"I can say this: that he's done a great job as prime minister. He's tough, he's smart, he's strong," Trump said.