Why an Early Election Could Be Just What Netanyahu Needs

Over the course of many months, Israeli prosecutors investigating alleged corruption worked their way into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inner sanctum. Netanyahu’s discomfort became real legal peril when police recommended charging him, threatening his tenure as prime minister, the second longest in Israel’s history. Now, with his governing coalition teetering, Netanyahu faces a decision of whether he’d be better off facing the electorate before his term expires in November 2019, that is, before Israel’s attorney general decides whether to indict him.

Israeli police in February recommended charging him with bribery, fraud and breach of trust for allegedly trading his influence for favors in two separate cases. Attorney General Avihai Mandelblit, who must decide whether to file charges against a sitting Israeli prime minister for the first time, is now evaluating the police file, a process that could take many more months. Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing.