Israel’s High Court Says Netanyahu Bound by Conflict-of-Interest Rules

Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is bound by the conflict-of-interest rules set by the state Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. The decision on Thursday was in response to a petition filed by the Movement for Quality of Government.

Under the conflict-of-interest rules, Netanyahu cannot interfere in the appointments for any positions that could be involved in his ongoing corruption trial. Among the appointments that he can not involve himself in are: attorney general, state prosecutor, police commissioner and judges to the Jerusalem District Court, which is hearing his case, and to the Supreme Court.

The three-judge said in the decision that one of the reasons that it allowed the formation of the last coalition government under Netanyahu was that they expected that conflict-of-interest rules would be set down for him.

Netanyahu and current Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit have been unable to arrive at a mutually agreed-upon wording for such rules, according to reports.