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Binyamin Netanyahu has launched a broadside against the Israeli police, who are expected to recommend within weeks that he be formally charged with corruption. In a speech at his Likud

party’s Hanukkah rally in Tel Aviv, the Israeli prime minister appeared to acknowledge that he would be charged but maintained that the allegations against him would prove baseless and

promised to fight the next election and win a fifth victory. Mr Netanyahu has been under police investigation for more than a year in two cases of alleged corruption. Police believe that he

and his wife received illegal gifts from wealthy businesspeople wanting his assistance. The gifts, which included crates of champagne, boxes of Cuban cigars and jewellery, are estimated to

have been worth more than £100,000. The second investigation relates to Mr Netanyahu’s dealings with newspaper owners, one of whom is the American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. The prime

minister is alleged to have tried to receive favourable coverage in return for arranging a no-competition deal between the newspapers. Mr Netanyahu was questioned under caution by police on

Friday for the seventh time this year. Investigators are expected to summarise the findings in the next couple of weeks. Until now the prime minister’s position has been that the expensive

items he received were legal “gifts from friends” and the dealings with the newspaper owners were normal discussions between a politician and the media. Advertisement In his speech on

Tuesday night he acknowledged for the first time that the police would recommend that he be charged. “So what? Here’s a fact that you probably don’t know. Most of the police recommendations

end with nothing,” he said. “They are trying to build tension.” The decision over whether to press charges, once the police deliver their recommendations, is down to Israel’s

attorney-general. However, even if the prime minister were to be charged Israeli law does not require his resignation unless he is convicted. Mr Netanyahu has made it clear that he plans to

remain in office. Denying reports that he would pursue early elections, he said: “In two years there will be elections and I say to our friends in the opposition come to the polling

stations, vote — you’ll lose again.”