Following police report, Netanyahu's government still stable

The morning after Israeli police recommended charging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in two corruption cases, he was on the defense. Speaking at a local governance conference in Tel Aviv, the embattled prime minister kept his fight in the public eye, continuing an onslaught on the police and their integrity.

 "After I read the recommendations report. I can say it is biased, extreme, full of holes, like Swiss cheese, it doesn't hold water," he said Wednesday morning. "I am confident, as I have always been confident and nothing here has changed -- that the truth will come to light and nothing will come of this."

Tuesday night, Israeli police announced that they had "sufficient evidence" against the prime minister in two cases "for the offense of accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust."

The first case alleges that Netanyahu accepted gifts from wealthy patrons in return for advancing their interests. In the second, Netanyahu is accused of striking a deal with Israel's second largest newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, to provide him with positive coverage in return for damaging the reputation of rival paper, Israel Hayom.

The first case names two wealthy businessmen, including big time Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and an Australian businessman. Police said they found sufficient evidence to charge Milchan, who is behind films including "Fight Club" and "The Revenant," for accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust. With respect to the businessman, the police only named fraud and breach of trust.

Milchan did not respond to ABC News' requests for comment. His lawyer told an Israeli TV station that the relationship between the two was a longstanding friendship between the two families.

The police now pass all of the evidence to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, a former Netanyahu aide, and appointed by the prime minister. The Attorney General will then spend weeks, possibly months, sifting through evidence before he alone decides whether to indict Netanyahu.

During this process, the prime minister has no legal obligation to step down; his more pressing problem is a political one.

"I want to reassure you," he told Wednesday's audience in Tel Aviv. "The coalition is stable, no one, not myself, not anyone else, plans to hold elections, we will continue to work together with you for the people of Israel until the end of the term."

An indictment would bring serious political pressure on Netanyahu to step down. But today, key players in his coalition government said they wouldn't make any decisions based on the police recommendations alone.

Source : abcnews