Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told associates on ‎Wednesday that he has no intention of stepping down, ‎even if he faces a criminal indictment.‎

Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit is currently ‎reviewing police recommendations to file corruption ‎charges against the prime ministerin three ‎investigations, known as Case ‎‎‎1,000, Case 2,000 and ‎Case 4,000. ‎

Case 1,000 centers on gifts Netanyahu and his wife, ‎‎‎Sara, allegedly received from Hollywood producer ‎‎‎Arnon Milchan and Australian tycoon James Packer.‎

Case 2,000 focuses on an alleged deal between ‎‎Netanyahu and Yediot Achronot publisher Arnon Mozes ‎‎in which Yediot would soften its aggressive ‎anti-‎‎Netanyahu tone in return for the prime ‎minister ‎‎acting to curtail Yediot rival Israel ‎Hayom’s ‎‎activities to benefit ‎Yediot financially.‎

Case 4,000 revolves around allegations of a deal in ‎‎which Shaul ‎Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of ‎‎Israeli telecom corporation Bezeq, ensured positive ‎‎coverage for Netanyahu in the Bezeq-owned Walla news ‎‎website in exchange for the prime minister ‎promoting ‎‎government regulations worth hundreds of ‎millions of ‎‎dollars to the company.‎

Mendelblit said Monday that the government’s ‎decision to call early elections on April 9 will not ‎affect his decisions on the matter. ‎

Speaking with close associates Wednesday, Netanyahu ‎said he doubts Mendelblit will file an ‎indictment during an election campaign, saying that ‎even if he must face trial, he plans to do it from ‎the Prime Minister’s Office—assuming he is ‎elected.‎

Basic Law: The government states that the prime ‎minister must resign only if he is convicted of a ‎crime. Moreover, unlike ministers, who are required ‎to resign if they are convicted in a Magistrates’ ‎Court, regardless of an appeals process, a prime minister is not required to resign until such time ‎as the legal process is exhausted in full, meaning ‎until a potential conviction is upheld by the ‎Supreme Court. ‎

The High Court of Justice has ruled in the past that ‎public norms require a prime minister to resign if ‎he is indicted, but that may prove legally tricky to enforce: ‎if an indicted minister resigns and is later ‎acquitted, he or she may resume their ministerial ‎position, but if the prime minister resigns over an ‎indictment, the entire government effectively ‎resigns with him and reclaiming the position in ‎case of an acquittal mandates holding elections.‎

Likud insiders said Wednesday that Netanyahu’s plan ‎to remain in office even if indicted is politically ‎feasible.‎

Assuming he is elected for a fifth term, Netanyahu’s ‎next coalition will be based on partners who have ‎already stated they were willing to join the ‎government even if he is indicted, one source ‎explained.‎

A decision to file criminal charges against ‎Netanyahu during the election campaign would make ‎Mendelblit the target of merciless attacks by senior ‎Likud officials, and it will also shift the focus of ‎the entire elections, another official said.‎

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