Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli police questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the 12th time on Friday in connection with a long-running corruption investigation, various local media reported.
Footage on private broadcaster Channel 10 showed police investigators entering Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem. Police and the prime minister's office declined to comment.
Army Radio said the focus on Friday would be on two cases in which police have recommended indictments against him.
One deals with gifts allegedly given to Netanyahu and his family, and the other with claims that he discussed getting better coverage in one of Israel's largest newspapers in return for curbs on a free daily competitor.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday criticized Israel’s “Jewish National Law” and the continued construction of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.At a joint press conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Merkel reiterated her country’s support for the Jewish state, but stressed that minorities, too, had rights.While noting her “reservations” regarding the recently approved Jewish National Law, Merkel said she nevertheless supported Israel as a “Jewish state”, adding that -- to achieve peace -- the Palestinians would also have to accept it as such.“Germany is concerned about [Israel’s] settlement policy, which makes it difficult to implement a two-state solution,” she said.Israel can beat Russian-supplied S-300 air shield in Syria: ministerShe went on to say that she planned to encourage the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) to return to the stalled Middle East peace process.The German chancellor also defended Israel’s right to protect its northern border from Iran’s military presence in Syria.“Iran is a threat to Israel and a threat to Lebanon,” she said. “It must have zero presence in Syria.” Netanyahu, for his part, reiterated his rejection of the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5 1 group of nations (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).Israel to send reinforcements to Gaza buffer zone“That deal put billions of dollars into the hands of the leading sponsors of terrorism,” he asserted.On the Palestine issue, Netanyahu called on the international community to tell the PA to stop “choking” Gaza.He went on to warn that Israel would respond to any attack by Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, with “overwhelming force”.US preparing Israel for war
Merkel offers qualified support for 'Jewish state'
No charges have been brought against the Israeli leader, who denies any wrongdoing and has called the allegations baseless.
It will be up to Israel's attorney general to decide whether to file charges. Partners in Netanyahu’s governing coalition have stood by him, saying they are awaiting the attorney general's next moves.
Netanyahu has also been questioned in a third case in which police allege that the owners of Israel’s largest telecom company provided favourable coverage of him and his wife on a news website they controlled in return for special treatment favours from communications regulators.