JUST IN: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Indicted on Bribery, Fraud Charges

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu was indicted on multiple charges Thursday, including bribery, as part of a long running corruption case that accused the leader of doling out favors in exchange for positive media coverage.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, was charged with bribery, breach of trust and fraud late Thursday. The Israeli Justice Ministry said it has also requested the Knesset (Israeli parliament) strip Netanyahu of his parliamentary immunity.

BREAKING: Israeli Justice Ministry: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicted on fraud, breach of trust and bribery.

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 21, 2019

“The cases against Mr. Netanyahu involve allegations of giving or offering lucrative official favors to several media tycoons in exchange for either favorable coverage in news outlets or gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars,” the New York Times reported. “He has rejected the charges as false and politically motivated.”

According to The Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu is the first prime minister in the country’s history to be indicted while in office.

The Israeli government has been caught in an electoral deadlock for the past few months. Multiple elections have been held and a third is potentially pending after both Netanyahu’s coalition and rival Benny Gantz’s coalition have failed to net majorities to form a government.

A proposed national unity ticket was rejected by Gantz because he refuses to serve under a prime minister facing corruption charges, according to Axios.

Existing Israeli law requires an ordinary government official to resign when indicted but it hasn’t been tested if that law applies to the prime minister., according to the Times.