Following the Attorney-General's Office's announcement on Wednesday of the opening of a new investigation into coalition members, over 10% of the coalition lawmakers are now under investigation. This comes as MKs debate a bill that will give them immunity from police investigation.
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara announced that police would open an investigation into two MKs and one former MK who were involved in the break-in at the controversial shut-down IDF base in July of last year.
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, MK Nissim Vaturi, and former minister and MK Zvi Sukkot will be put under criminal investigation for their part in the break-in, which occurred during protests against the prosecution of IDF soldiers for allegedly raping a Palestinian detainee in the base.
The trio is being investigated for entering the base without authorization after protestors broke down the gates. MK Almog Cohen will not be investigated despite participating because he did not enter the base itself.
Likud MK Tally Gottliv is under investigation for claiming a protest leader's husband was in contact with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar before the October 7 massacre, as well as publically identifying him as a Shin Bet agent.
Gottliv introduced immunity bill
She has so far refused to submit to questioning by the police, claiming that she has immunity due to the statements being made as a part of her statements to the Knesset. Police have disputed this, saying that she has no immunity for such statement.s
Gottliv was the MK who introduced the new immunity bill that would exempt her from being investigated, although she claims it would not apply retroactively.
All the remaining MKs and ministers are under investigation for various forms of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cases involve a variety of allegations that he accepted gifts in return for favorable legislation and regulations from several different people.
Likud MK David Bitan was accused of accepting bribes amounting to nearly one million shekels (NIS 992,000) during his time as mayor of Rishon Lezion, MK, and coalition chair. The case is currently being heard at the Lod District Court.
Shas Education Minister Haim Biton is under investigation for misappropriating state funds intended for the education system to publish a Shas party magazine for children. He is under investigation for receiving bribes by fraud, breach of trust, false registration in corporate documents, and money laundering.
Transport Minister Miri Regev is under investigation for fraud and breach of trust for allegedly using her position to redirect funds and prioritize projects for Likud-controlled municipalities as well as areas that voted for her in the Likud primaries. Regev has not been charged and remains under investigation.
Likud Women's Advancement Minister and Social Equality Minister May Golan is under investigation for reappropriating funds to pay for defamation lawsuits that never materialized. She also has not been charged and remains under investigation as she has refused to cooperate with police.