Netanyahu indicted on corruption charges

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted in three corruption cases, marking the first time a sitting head of state in Israel will face criminal charges.

Netanyahu was charged Thursday with bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The indictment follows a four-day hearing last month with the prime minister’s defense team.

The first case, which is considered to be the most serious, accuses Netanyahu of bribery for allegedly engaging in a quid pro quo deal with businessman and media mogul Shaul Elovich in which Netnayahu, during his tenure as communication minister, spearheaded regulations that helped Elovich gain roughly $500 million, Haaretz reported. In return, Netanyahu and his wife allegedly repeatedly requested alterations to Walla News, which Elovich ran, to serve their political interests and undercut their opponents.