Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his immediate family met tonight (Sunday) with his lawyers in the private home of his defense attorney, Adv. Boaz Ben-Zur, in the Ramat Hen neighborhood of Ramat Gan for a crucial meeting. Netanyahu changed his position and expressed opposition to the move.
Along with Ben-Zur, there were also attorneys Amit Hadad and Yossi Cohen who accompanied the family and a close associate of them, Natan Eshel. .
One of the additional demands made by those senior officials is a return from his attacks on the police and the prosecution and recognition of their clean hands.
Such an announcement, which did not involve any persecution or discrimination after what he said, could make it even more difficult for Netanyahu to sign a deal.
As you may recall, contacts for a plea deal gained momentum over the weekend and it seems that if such a deal is signed it may happen again this week.
Both parties already agree on the deal framework: case 2,000 will be closed, the bribe clause from case 4,000 will be deleted.
Netanyahu will plead guilty to the two remaining offenses - fraud and breach of trust in case 4,000 and case 1,000 and also the question of punishment reached agreement - service work of 3 months or less, without imprisonment.
The rock of contention between the parties remains the question of disgrace.
Mandelblit insists that there will be disgrace and this will end Netanyahu's glorious political career.
Netanyahu, for his part, for exactly the same reason, insists that there will be no disgrace, and this will allow him to try to run again for prime minister in the next election.
Avner Netanyahu, Photo: Yehoshua Yosef
This is a real step forward as the prosecution agrees for the first time to remove the demand for an actual prison sentence, delete the bribe clause and the 2,000 case while Netanyahu is willing to admit serious criminal offenses for the first time after Cable told a committee that "there was nothing because there is nothing."
Mandelbit appears to have consulted with former Supreme Court President Aaron Barak, who was encouraged to close a deal, but only if they sign a disgrace.
It seems that Netanyahu's immediate family is also approaching an agreement on signing a deal.
Netanyahu's side knows that no better deal will be accepted and that Mandelblit's optional replacements are imbued with a fighting spirit from him.
Mandelblit, for his part, wants to clear the table before leaving office and prevent a long-running trial that will continue to divide the people and undermine the credibility of the justice system.
Netanyahu fears that a confession of fraud and breach of trust will also bring disgrace with them in any case and that even if Mandelblit waives this demand, the court may not approve without disgrace.
Against Netanyahu is the Katsav affair, where the prosecution proposed a generous deal that removed the charge of rape.
Katsav's pride did not allow him to sign the deal that was heaven after the verdict was read.
These are not the same offenses of course, but the deliberation is similar.
Netanyahu may have a sense of pride, but he is known as a prudent person who knows how to calculate risks.
If a deal is signed and disgrace is imposed on his actions, Netanyahu is expected to be deprived of his rights such as a security guard, a car and other conditions as a former prime minister, similar to what happened with Ehud Olmert.
Signing a deal has dramatic significance also politically.
Netanyahu is the reason why the right has split and he is the glue that holds the government together.
If he moves aside, all estimates are that the current government will disintegrate, the right will unite and return to power without the need to squint from the left parties.
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