Watchdog Group Demands Criminal Probe Into Netanyahu Over US Aid Reports

The Movement for Quality of Government in Israel has urgently petitioned the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, and senior law enforcement officials, demanding a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The group seeks to examine suspicions of breach of trust, bribery, and offering bribes to a foreign public official, stemming from reports that Netanyahu initiated the cessation of U.S. security aid to Israel.

The petition, also sent to State Attorney Amit Issman, Police Commissioner Daniel Levi, and Head of Investigations and Intelligence Boaz Balat, centers on a report claiming U.S. President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Netanyahu to halt American security assistance, valued at approximately $4 billion annually, until the end of the year. This aid is part of a defense agreement set to continue until 2028.

The watchdog group is investigating a potential improper link between the reported agreement to halt aid and personal political support Trump allegedly provided to Netanyahu before Israeli elections. They also question if the announcement, made on U.S. midterm election day, offered political advantages to the American president, probing whether a quid pro quo existed between political benefit and the exercise of governmental authority.

Furthermore, the movement highlights that the reported initiative to stop aid was allegedly not coordinated with Israel's security establishment or the IDF, despite its significant budgetary and security implications. The petition notes that a delegation from the Ministry of Defense visited the U.S. two weeks prior to discuss procurement plans based on continued aid. The agreement was reportedly reached during a transitional government period after Israeli elections and before a new government was formed, prompting questions about the decision-making process and consultations held.

The movement cited sections of the penal code concerning fraud and breach of trust by a public official, as well as bribery offenses. They also requested an examination into potential offenses of offering bribes to a foreign public official, should sufficient factual basis be found. The petition, signed by Yaniv Goldberg, head of the movement's economic department, emphasizes that opening a criminal investigation against a sitting prime minister requires the Attorney General's consent. The group requested an urgent response, urging for a criminal investigation if a reasonable suspicion of an offense is found, or a preliminary review without delay if necessary.