Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to turn the tables on the legal establishment that served him with an indictment on Thursday.
Netanyahu is the first sitting prime minister to be indicted in Israeli history. Other prime ministers have been indicted after leaving the office or stepped down before an indictment was official.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Calling the investigation "contaminated" more than a dozen times, Netanyahu claimed the public has lost faith in the country's justice system.
"This is a witch hunt," he said, with much of his accusations targeted at Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit. "We must investigate the investigators. They're not above the law."
He said the investigation against him was full of holes, was not done in a transparent manner and that he has many supporters within the country who agree with him.
"I hate this. It disgusts not only me, but the people of Israel, and not just people on the right. People are questioning how the police conducts its work. The public has lost its support for the legal establishment," he said.
"I gave my life to this country. I fought for it. Was injured for it [in the military service]. I did everything to turn it into a world power and I'm proud of it," he added. "I'm proud of us. But I have to tell you, this is a hard day. For me and for anybody who's supported me."
Hope is not all lost yet for Netanyahu, though.
Speaking to Channel 12 news, Likud MK Miki Zohar said he will advise Netanyahu to submit an immunity request, a process he is entitled to pursue by law.
"He has not been indicted yet," Zohar explained. Under Israeli law, an MK (in this case Netanyahu) has 30 days to trigger an immunity process.
After Netanyahu submits that request, the Knesset House Committee will have to decide whether to grant his request, but it is unclear whether he has the votes. It is also unclear whether the Knesset can legally deliberate this matter before a new government is sworn in.
Meanwhile, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman called on the legal process to be properly carried out.
"We need to let the legal system do its job and we need to allow Netanyahu to have his chance to prove his innocence," Lieberman said.
However, Netanyahu's opponents wasted no time in calling on him to step down.
While his main rival, Blue and White head Benny Gantz, succinctly summed up the mood of the day by saying it was a "sad day for Israel," other members of the Left were much more explicit in their wishes.
"Netanyahu dedicated most of his life to serving the state of Israel. If he still cares about the country, he needs to do one more thing for it: step down," Yesh Atid co-leader Yair Lapid tweeted.
Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, now head of the Democratic Union, echoed those sentiments, stating, "Netanyahu needs to step down immediately. Otherwise, he'll ever be tainted by corruption and will never receive compassion."
Barak called for Gantz to lead the country and was open to the possibility of his government including the Likud. He also praised Mendelblit for having a "backbone" and respecting the rule of law.
For now, there are 21 days left for the Knesset to rally behind a would-be prime minister. 61 MKs must vouch for a candidate in writing, after which he or she will have 14 days to swear in a government. If no government is formed by the deadline, another early Knesset election will be automatically triggered. This would be the third such election in less than a year.
In a KAN news poll released on Thursday, 38% of Israelis blame Netanyahu if that election takes place.
News of the indictment has also made waves among the left across the ocean, with Democratic 2020 candidate Elizabeth Warren, tweeting: "Netanyahu is accused of accepting bribes, trading government favors, and manipulating a free press. Like his pal Donald Trump, he'll stop at nothing to enrich himself and stay in power. This blatant corruption has no place in any democracy – I'll fight it at home and abroad. "
