Ex-Mossad chiefs warn Israel 'critically ill' under Netanyahu

Six former heads of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency have voiced their concerns about Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, saying Israel is "sick" as a country under his leadership.

The ex-spy chiefs criticised the Israeli premier in a joint interview in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's best-selling newspaper. Their comments come as Israel prepares to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of its founding next month.

Danny Yatom, who headed Mossad during Netanyahu's first stint in office in the late 1990s, called for his ouster, accusing him and his aides of "putting their interests ahead of national interests" as corruption investigations deepen.

Yatom also voiced concern about "the inertia in the diplomatic sphere, which is leading us toward a bi-national state (with the Palestinians), which would spell the end of (Israel as) a Jewish and democratic state".

"We have children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren here, and I want them to live in a healthy country - and the country is sick," Zvi Zamir, Mossad director from 1968 to 1974, was quoted as saying during the interview.

"We are in a critical medical state. It could be that the country had symptoms when Netanyahu took over, but he has brought it to the grave condition of a malignant disease."

Netanyahu had no immediate response to the comments.

Israeli police in February recommended Netanyahu be indicted on two cases of alleged corruption, while a third investigation regarding supposed favours sought from the head of the country's largest telecommunications firms is ongoing.

The Israeli attorney general is due to rule in the coming months on whether to pursue the indictment.

Netanyahu has denied all corruption allegations, calling them part of a media witch hunt.

The accusations, however, appear to have taken a toll, with senior cabinet ministers who had previously been outspoken in their defence, largely going silent. 

The cases have given new fuel to opposition calls for Netanyahu to step aside.