Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Israel’s attorney general has ordered an investigation into Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over allegations of witness harassment and obstruction of justice connected to her husband’s trial for corruption.
The decision follows a report by investigative programme Uvda, which aired last week on Israel's Channel 12.
“The investigation will focus on the findings of the Uvda show,” attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara’s office said late on Thursday, without naming Ms Netanyahu.
The report uncovered a large number of WhatsApp messages reportedly showing Ms Netanyahu instructing Hanni Bleiweiss, the former aide to the Prime Minister who died of cancer last year, to organise protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial.
Ms Bleiweiss was also instructed, according to the messages, to organise demonstrations outside the homes of the lead prosecutor in the corruption case, Liat Ben-Ari, and then attorney general Avichai Mandelblit.
These claims have intensified public scrutiny of Ms Netanyahu, who had been earlier accused of abusive behaviour towards her staff. In 2019, she was fined for misusing state funds.
Following the Uvda report, dozens of people reportedly filed police complaints, urging investigation into the allegations, The Times of Israel reported.
Mr Netanyahu has been charged with fraud, breach of trust and bribery in three cases. The trial, which began in January 2020, marks the first time an Israeli prime minister has stood trial while in office. He denies all charges, claiming they are part of a politically motivated “witch hunt”.
In a video released hours before the attorney general’s announcement, Mr Netanyahu defended his wife, accusing the media and political opponents of targeting her unfairly. “My opponents on the left and in the media found a new-old target. They mercilessly attack my wife, Sara,” he said, dismissing the Uvda report “false” and “nasty propaganda.”
The cases against Mr Netanyahu – Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000 – centre on allegations of illicit exchanges with media moguls and wealthy businessmen. The most serious, Case 4000, accuses the Prime Minister of granting regulatory benefits to Shaul Elovitch, the owner of telecom giant Bezeq, who also controlled news website Walla, in exchange for favourable media coverage.
The allegations against Ms Netanyahu have sparked political controversy, with the Prime Minister's allies accusing the attorney general of bias. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a vocal critic of Ms Baharav-Miara, called for her dismissal.
“Someone who politically persecutes government ministers and their families cannot continue to serve as the attorney general,” said Mr Ben-Gvir.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin accused Ms Baharav-Miara of pursuing “television gossip”, instead of focusing on more pressing legal matters. In a statement, he said: “Selective enforcement is a crime!”
Meanwhile, Ms Netanyahu this week filed a lawsuit for defamation against Channel 12 News, after it aired a report claiming that she leaked highly sensitive security information – including that Israel was about to assassinate former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, three days before the actual strike.