Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprising statement to a former senior legal official a few months ago, according to a Channel 10 news report on Sunday evening. "I am ready to leave my position tomorrow as prime minister, but I have no one to leave the keys with," Netanyahu reportedly said, The Jerusalem Post reports.
Netanyahu made the statement in light of the current legal cases against him.
A source in the Likud responded to the report, saying, "These words were never said. I suggest that no one take this report seriously."
According to the report, Netanyahu met with the legal official regarding a separate legal affair. In the course of their conversation, the topic veered to the appropriate amount of time for the prime minister's term in office, and Netanyahu made his surprising statement. The legal source confirmed the report.
At a press conference held in Paris on Sunday, Netanyahu referred to the cases against him and said that "The most outrageous accusations are being thrown at me but apparently it's not working. I'm not going anywhere. Get used to it. It's up to the public to decide."
Netanyahu added, "Someone asked me as I boarded the plane if I'm worthy of leadership. It's not your question; it is the Israeli public that determines whether I am leading Israel responsibly. The answer is given and will be given by Israeli citizens."