Police drop corruption probe into Israeli opposition head

Israeli police said Thursday they have dropped their investigation into opposition Labour party leader Isaac Herzog over alleged corruption, citing a lack of evidence.

"Police have completed their investigation into suspected illegal donations during the leadership elections" of his Labour party in 2013, they said in a statement.

Authorities said in March they were probing Herzog, who refuted the allegations at the time and criticised what he called a "ridiculous slander".

The investigation centred around an undeclared gift allegedly received to fund a campaign attacking Herzog's rival for the Labour leadership.

Police found nothing to suggest that Herzog had been aware of any payment, although there was evidence that potentially implicated a campaign official.

Herzog, who took over as Labour's head in November 2013, was investigated for an alleged breach of party funding rules in 2001 but the case was closed due to lack of evidence.