Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly gave approval to move forward with a plea deal which could end his corruption trial, Israeli media reported on Monday.
The Jerusalem Post reported Monday night that the former Israeli PM has given his lawyers the green light to further pursue the possible plea deal.
An agreement could see Netanyahu, 72, plead guilty to reduced charges in return for community service instead of a possible jail term. The charge would reportedly require him to leave politics.
The longest serving Israeli leader was unseated after elections last year. He is head of the right-wing Likud, the largest party in the Israeli parliament, and was prime minister for a record 15 years.
In his last five years in office, Netanyahu was dogged by a police investigation into allegations against him, followed by the start of his trial in 2020.
He is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in connection with three separate cases. He denies the charges against him, saying they are politically motivated.
Reports that Netanyahu has been discussing a plea deal with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit emerged in Israeli media in recent days.
As of Sunday night, the Israeli prosecution was still denying that there had been any progress or new developments and that the former prime minister still had not Mandelblit’s conditions for formal negotiations.
Source: Israeli media
