Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits an Israeli army base in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, November 24, 2019. — Atef Safadi/Pool via Reuters
Netanyahu's indictment on Thursday came amid political disarray in Israel, after neither Netanyahu nor his main challenger, centrist Benny Gantz, secured a majority in parliament in elections in April and September. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, which petitioned for Netanyahu to step aside, said in its filing to the Supreme Court that the first criminal charges against a sitting prime minister constituted “the crossing of a red line and a grave blow to public trust in ruling institutions.”
"I am doing everything needed to carry out government work, cabinet work ... in all necessary ways, to ensure the security of the citizens of Israel and the things that are crucial for Israel," he said in a video statement. Gantz's mandate to form a government — after an unsuccessful attempt by Netanyahu to do so — expired on Wednesday. The next day, Israel's president declared a three-week period in which lawmakers can nominate one of their own to try to put together a ruling coalition.Netanyahu's hope of securing that parliamentary nomination was challenged by Saar.