Liebermann may face graft probe

A
decision to prosecute Avigdor Lieberman would shake up Israeli politics since
he has said he will resign if indicted, and his departure could mean a steep
drop in support for his hard-line party, built largely on his personal
popularity.
Lieberman's
party, Yisrael Beitenu, is the key coalition partner in Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's government.
An
assistant to Israel's attorney general sent a letter to the good-governance
group Ometz on Thursday saying a decision would be made by the end of next
month, according to reports in the dailies Haaretz, Maariv and elsewhere.
The
decision follows a decade-old investigation into Lieberman's business dealings,
involving suspicions of bribery, breach of trust and other allegations. In
2009, upon completing the investigation, police said there was enough evidence
to indict and turned the case over to the attorney general.
Lieberman
says he is innocent and that the charges are politically motivated.
A
blunt-talking Moldova-born politician, Lieberman has amassed power with support
from immigrants from the former Soviet Union and with rhetoric attacking
Israeli Arabs and dovish groups.