JERUSALEM - Three Israeli police investigators last night questioned the prime minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, over alleged illegalities and/or abuses of power in the short-lived appointment last month of Jerusalem criminal lawyer, Mr Ronnie Bar-On, to the post of attorney-general, writes David Horovitz.
Mr Netanyahu is only the second serving prime minister in Israeli history to be questioned by police - Shimon Peres gave testimony to investigators in 1986 over the cold-blooded killing by Shin Bet security agents of two Palestinians who hijacked an Israeli bus.
Mr Bar-On resigned as attorney-general two days after his appointment on January 10th, without even setting foot in his office, after a public outcry at his perceived unsuitability for the position. Later last month, Israel TV charged that he had been appointed as a consequence of a deal, under which he was to arrange a plea-bargain for one of Mr Netanyahu's coalition colleagues, the ultra-Orthodox Shas party leader, Mr Aryeh Deri, who is in the midst of a corruption trial.
Police investigators have already questioned more than 20 witnesses regarding the Bar-On case, although they have declined to give any information on their findings to date.
David Horovitz is managing editor of the Jerusalem Report