The Likud party has come out against former Israel Police Commissioner Ronnie Alsheikh for his reported assertion that Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit would not hesitate to summon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a hearing ahead of an indictment and prior to the April 9 elections.
"If it looks like the game is fixed, and sounds like it, then the game is fixed," party officials said in a statement released on Tuesday. "Ronnie Alsheikh contaminated the investigations against Prime Minister Netanyahu and turned them into a process the outcome of which has been decided in advance. During the investigations, and also now, Alsheikh has continued to push with all his might for the filing of an indictment at any price – even when there is nothing."
Emphasizing that Israeli citizens will be the ones to decide who is elected Israel's prime minister, party officials said Israel's citizens "will vote against the witch hunt."
According to a Hadashot News report, Alsheikh expressed concern during closed talks about the intensity of Netanyahu's and his associates' criticism of Mendelblit, but said he was nevertheless convinced Mendelblit would withstand the pressure and announce his decision on a hearing ahead of the elections.
Alsheikh said, "Mendelblit has crossed the Rubicon, and he will not break. Neither do I have any doubt that the indictment against the prime minister will include the bribery offense."
According to the report, Alsheikh said it has been clear to him for many months now that the attacks on him would quickly move to the attorney general.
