Israeli opposition lawmaker to resign under plea deal

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s Justice Ministry says it has reached a plea deal with a powerful opposition lawmaker that will see him resign from parliament. The deal leaves open the possibility that Aryeh Deri could return to the Knesset in the near future. The ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the indictment against Deri does not include the crime of “moral turpitude,” which would bar him from politics for seven years. Deri leads the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, which often acts as kingmaker in Israel’s coalition governments. He was previously sentenced to three years in prison for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in 2000.