Israel's political establishment was in an uproar Thursday as Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein told Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman he's considering indicting Lieberman for fraud, breach of trust, witness tampering, and money laundering. Quite a list.
The Attorney General said the charges stem from companies Lieberman set up in 1997 with Lieberman's business partners.
The political fallout could be profound. If indicted, Lieberman would likely resign, which could threaten Netanyahu's government.
But the calls that he'd resign or that the Netanyahu government might fall were premature.
Ha'aretz reported that "Weinstein may not make the final decision on whether to indict Lieberman before April 2012."
In addition, before any indictment, there'll be a hearing where Lieberman will present his side. He says he's eager for the opportunity to prove his innocence.
Lieberman is a political force in Israel. He's built the third largest political party in Israel. If he was indicted, it's unclear if the rest of his party could muster the same level of support.
He also has a reputation for bluntness and candor, something his admirers and supporters appreciate.
For example, on Wednesday night just after he was informed of the possible upcoming indictment, he said, "The goal of Israel should not be quiet for the residents of the South, but rather quiet for Hamas. When there is quiet, the Hamas uses it to build up its arsenal. Our goal must be to topple the regime in Gaza."
It's this plain talk that has brought him a great deal of support, particularly among the Russian immigrant population.
Lieberman also called on the three major Israeli political parties to meet and draft a diplomatic plan to blunt the upcoming plan of the Palestinians to unilaterally declare a state through the U.N. in September.
Netanyahu can't afford any dents in his coalition government right now. He knows the biggest test facing Israel right now is that upcoming U.N. vote.
Next month, he faces another test, a meeting in Washington, D.C., once again with President Obama. He's under a lot of pressure to make dramatic concessions to the Palestinians and avert what's been called this "diplomatic tsunami" in the fall.
By the way, we'll have a story on this on Friday's "The 700 Club." In the meantime, Lieberman will likely stay on for now until this summer or beyond.