JERUSALEM -- Israeli police on Sunday recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bribery charges, adding to a growing collection of legal troubles that have clouded the longtime leader's prospects for pursuing re-election next year.
Netanyahu denied the latest allegations. But his fate now lies in the hands of his attorney general, who will decide in the coming months whether the prime minister should stand trial on a host of corruption allegations that could play a central role in next year's election campaign.
In a scathing attack on police investigators in a speech on Sunday, Netanyahu called the investigation a "witch hunt" that was "tainted from the start."
"Israel is a law-abiding country. And in a law-abiding country police recommendations have no legal weight," he told his Likud Party at a Hannukah candle-lighting ceremony.
Most of his half-hour holiday speech went to dismissing the allegations, and the boisterous crowd of hundreds of party members rallied behind him.
Sunday's decision followed a lengthy investigation into a case involving Netanyahu's relationship with Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israel's telecom giant Bezeq.
Police said they found sufficient evidence that confidants of Netanyahu promoted regulatory changes worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq.
In exchange, they believe Netanyahu used his connections with Elovitch to receive positive media coverage on Bezeq's popular news site Walla.
In a statement, police said the investigation concluded that Netanyahu and Elovitch engaged in a "bribe-based relationship."
Police said they believed there was sufficient evidence to charge Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, with accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust. They also recommended charges be brought against Elovitch, members of his family and members of his Bezeq management team.
Police have already recommended indicting Netanyahu on corruption charges in two other cases. One involves accepting gifts from billionaire friends, and the second revolves around alleged offers of advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in return for favorable coverage.
The prime minister has denied any wrongdoing.
Responding to the most recent charges, Netanyahu questioned the timing and veracity of Sunday's announcement, accusing police of leaking parts of the investigation even before any conclusions were reached.
"Police recommendations have no legal status," he said in a statement. "Only recently, police recommendations in cases against other public figures were rejected by the relevant authorities. I am certain that after considering the matters the same conclusion will be reached in this case as well."
Netanyahu reiterated a phrase he has used since all the investigations against him were launched more than two years ago -- "that there was nothing because there is nothing."
The police recommendations will go to his hand-picked attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, who will review the material and make the final decision on whether to press charges.
Israeli law is unclear about whether an indicted prime minister would have to step down. But at the minimum, a trial would put pressure on Netanyahu, who has been in office for nearly a decade, to step aside.
Mandelblit's office has not said when he will issue his decision. Most analysts expect him to take several months to review the material.
Reuven Hazan, a political scientist at Hebrew University, said Netanyahu will likely try to push forward elections before Mandelblit decides whether to indict.
Netanyahu holds a solid lead in all opinion polls, and a victory would make it more difficult for Mandelblit to indict and potentially force out a newly re-elected leader.
"He'll send a message to the attorney general that everyone knew about these three police reports and they still voted for him and want him in power," Hazan said. That would force the attorney general "to seriously reconsider his decision," he said.
Opposition leader Avi Gabbay, chairman of the Zionist Union party, called for the prime minister to stand down immediately.
"A person with such a sickly obsession with what the media says about him must not lead the State of Israel. Every day he continues in his position harm to the citizens of this country."
But Netanyahu's colleagues in the ruling Likud Party lined up behind him, attacking outgoing Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh for releasing the recommendation on his last day on the job.
The appointment of Alsheikh's potential successor is being held up after a government-appointed committee rejected his candidacy, and Netanyahu has repeatedly criticized the police as investigations into his behavior have mounted.
Information for this article was contributed by Josef Federman of The Associated Press; and by Ruth Eglash of The Washington Post.
A Section on 12/03/2018