Criminal9/25/2026

Criminal Cases Involving Coalition Members: Convictions, Trials, and Investigations

According to a Zman.co.il review as of September 2026, three coalition ministers and Knesset members had previously been convicted, two are on trial, and another Knesset member has been indicted. Matters concerning eight other politicians were investigated, examined by the police, or referred to the prosecution; however, suspicions and charges do not in themselves imply guilt.

Key facts

•The review was published on September 25, 2026
•Three politicians had previously been convicted
•Netanyahu and Bitan are on trial
•Gotliv received immunity on June 17, 2026
•Eight politicians were subject to examinations or investigations
•Basic Law: The Knesset—seven-year restriction when the stipulated conditions are met

Who Was Convicted

In 1999, Aryeh Deri was convicted by the Jerusalem District Court of accepting a bribe, fraud, and breach of trust; following an appeal, his sentence was set at three years’ imprisonment. In January 2022, he was also convicted of two tax offenses and sentenced to 12 months’ suspended imprisonment and a fine of 180,000 shekels; in January 2023, the High Court of Justice ruled that his appointment as a minister was extremely unreasonable. According to the attorney general’s response to the High Court of Justice, Itamar Ben-Gvir was convicted, in whole or in part, under 13 indictments between 1993 and 2007. In February 2022, under a plea agreement, Haim Katz was convicted of conspiracy to achieve a lawful purpose by prohibited means and received a six-month suspended sentence and a fine of approximately 75,000 shekels—without the act being deemed to involve moral turpitude.

Trials and Immunity

Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial in Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000: he is charged with fraud and breach of trust and, in Case 4000, also with bribery. David Bitan is on trial in the Central District Court on charges including accepting bribes totaling 715,000 shekels, breach of trust, money laundering, and tax offenses. In May 2026, an indictment was filed against Tally Gotliv under the Israel Security Agency Law for revealing the identity of a Shin Bet employee, but on June 17, 2026, the Knesset granted her immunity. As of the date of the review, the source does not cite any final judgments in these proceedings.

Which Cases Are Still Under Examination

The review lists Hanoch Milwidsky, May Golan, Eli Cohen, Nissim Vaturi, Zvi Sukkot, Amichai Eliyahu, Haim Biton, and Yaakov Tessler. The suspicions concern, among other things, sexual offenses and obstruction of justice, bribery and fraud, the issuance of diplomatic passports, entry into the Sde Teiman military base, and the possible use of Ministry of Education funds for a party publication. In several incidents, the materials were referred to the prosecution, which must decide whether to pursue further proceedings; in May Golan’s case, the police recommended filing charges. All those listed retain the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a court.

Why an Investigation Does Not Terminate a Mandate

An investigation or indictment does not ordinarily terminate the tenure of a Knesset member: as a rule, a final conviction and a determination that the offense involves moral turpitude are decisive. Basic Law: The Knesset bars, for seven years after completion of a sentence, a person sentenced to more than three months’ imprisonment for an offense deemed to involve moral turpitude from standing for election. On December 4, 2024, the Knesset gave preliminary approval to a bill sponsored by Tally Gotliv that would have required parliamentary consent to investigate acts committed by a Knesset member in the performance of their duties; bribery and sexual offenses were excluded from it. The bill did not complete the legislative process before the Knesset was dissolved in July 2026 and therefore did not change the existing procedure.

What this means for you

For an ordinary person, this means that the status of a Knesset member or minister does not in itself preclude a criminal investigation, but an investigation or indictment does not ordinarily lead automatically to termination of office. The prosecution decides whether to file charges, the court determines guilt, and in certain cases the Knesset may consider parliamentary immunity. The bill requiring the Knesset’s prior consent for certain investigations was not enacted.

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Case analysis based on court rulings