With the viability of Israel's conservative government at stake, the Supreme Court on Wednesday began considering requests to overrule prosecutors and charge the prime minister with fraud in an influence-peddling scandal.
Police last month recommended that state prosecutors indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his justice minister, an aide and his political ally Aryeh Deri. But state prosecutors decided to charge only Deri, leader of the Shas party.Israel's high court is notoriously activist and independent - and can force an indictment when petitioned to do so. But some observers believed it was unlikely to interfere in this case.
A ruling against Netanyahu would likely bring down his government, though technically he could remain in office until convicted. The court is expected to consider the case for several days.
"The judges should be gutsy," said Ofir Pines, an legislator from the opposition Labor Party who filed one of the nine motions. "I expect a positive response from the high court."
However, the five-judge panel was believed unlikely to interfere in this case. By midday, the court had rejected several petitions asking an official commission of inquiry into the scandal be set up. The judges also rejected a petition asking for the publication of a police report that recommended Netanyahu's indictment, and another requesting publication of minority opinion by three prosecutors who also recommended the prime minister be indicted.
The court was not expected to rule Wednesday on the main question of whether to indict Netanyahu.
Dozens of police were deployed outside the courthouse Wednesday morning.