Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit on Thursday rejected a motion by Attorney Shahar Ben-Meir to launch a criminal investigation against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others regarding their alleged ties with Israel Hayom.
Ben-Meir argued that a criminal investigation was warranted because the free daily's operations seek to "politically and exclusively promote" Netanyahu.
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This constitutes alleged illicit benefits Netanyahu has been and is receiving from billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who owns the company that is the primary shareholder in Israel Hayom, Ben-Meir claimed.
Explaining the decision, the Attorney General's Office said that there was no evidence to support Ben-Meir's claims and warrant a criminal investigation.
The AG's response further stressed that it is "important to distinguish between a newspaper that supports certain ideology and one designed to promote a specific individual."
