After months of speculation, state prosecutors announced that Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman–Israel’s biggest bull in the China shop–has been indicted on a breach of trust charge.
Here’s what seems to be most important about this revelation:
–Lieberman was dismissed of the major charges with the biggest bite: money laundering and obstruction of justice
–It remains unclear whether or not Lieberman will be forced to resign his post. Lieberman’s lawyers claim there is a precedent that would allow him to keep his job
–Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already congratulated Lieberman for having the most severe charges dropped, a signal that Netanyahu isn’t going to dismiss him
–Semi-serious indictments seem to be a rite of passage for Israeli politicians on their way to the Prime Minister’s office. Lieberman may have just cleared himself a path.
Lieberman will have a press conference at 8 PM tonight in Israel. It should be a hoot. We’ll keep you posted!
Liberman Indicted on Minor Breach of Trust Claim [Times of Israel]
Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.