TEL AVIV, Israel ��Thousands of Israelis demonstrated against government corruption as police move to finish an investigation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicions of bribery.
In addition to the weekly march in central Tel Aviv by liberal opponents of the government, several hundred conservatives normally allied with Netanyahu held a parallel protest Saturday night in Jerusalem. Adding to the pressure on the prime minister, a key Netanyahu ally said Saturday that Netanyahu can't continue serving if indicted, even as he ridiculed some of the allegations.
"A sitting prime minister of the State of Israel against whom an indictment is served for bribery can't continue to be prime minister," said new government coalition whip David Amsalem, a member of the parliament from Netanyahu's Likud Party. Amsalem last week replaced David Bitan, who stepped down while police investigate suspicions of corruption related to Bitan's previous role as a municipal official.
Police are investigating Netanyahu in two separate cases. In one, he's suspected of receiving tens of thousands of dollars worth of cigars and champagne from wealthy friends. In the second, he's accused of collaborating with a newspaper publisher to pass legislation that would benefit the publisher's business in return for favorable coverage.
Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing. He's described the cases as a witch hunt by political opponents and noted the steady stream of leaks from the police investigation to news organizations that Netanyahu considers hostile. Even if the police recommend that he be indicted _ the decision rests with the attorney general _ "so what?" Netanyahu said last week.
Amsalem, in his comments Saturday, also mocked the police investigation.
"In a normal, fair and balanced democratic regime, you don't investigate a prime minister for receiving cigars from a friend," he said in remarks broadcast on Israeli media. "It's absurd and it's a slippery slope. Tomorrow why not arrest and investigate a prime minister for receiving a few chocolate bars?"
In Israel's increasingly tense political atmosphere, another Netanyahu ally, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon of the Kulanu Party, defended the police last week, urging them to ignore the attacks against them and continue their investigations.
