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#14888742
Police recommend charging Netanyahu for taking bribes from mogul, publisher
In a momentous and far-reaching announcement Tuesday night, police said they are recommending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for a series of serious corruption charges including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, and that they believe they have collected enough evidence to bring the cases to trial.

As the recommendations were published, new bombshell reports said the ostensible key witness against the prime minister in one of the cases was his political rival, former finance minister Yair Lapid.

The recommendations include indictments for bribery in both Case 1000 and Case 2000, as they have been dubbed. A decision to press formal charges against the veteran premier now rests with the attorney general’s office, which is expected to take weeks or months to decide how to proceed.

According to police, Netanyahu made a number of quid pro quo deals to receive favors from businessmen in return for passing laws that would benefit them financially.

Police said that in Case 1000, they have concluded “that there is sufficient evidence against the prime minister on suspicions of the offense of accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust regarding his connection with businessman Arnon Milchan and fraud and breach of trust in connection with the Australian businessman James Packer.”

In Case 2000, they are recommending trying Netanyahu in court for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

In the so-called Case 1000, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from billionaire benefactors, amounting to some NIS 1 million ($282,000) worth of cigars and champagne from the Israeli-born Hollywood producer Milchan and Australian resort owner Packer.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset on February 13, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

In a momentous and far-reaching announcement Tuesday night, police said they are recommending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for a series of serious corruption charges including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, and that they believe they have collected enough evidence to bring the cases to trial.

As the recommendations were published, new bombshell reports said the ostensible key witness against the prime minister in one of the cases was his political rival, former finance minister Yair Lapid.

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The recommendations include indictments for bribery in both Case 1000 and Case 2000, as they have been dubbed. A decision to press formal charges against the veteran premier now rests with the attorney general’s office, which is expected to take weeks or months to decide how to proceed.

According to police, Netanyahu made a number of quid pro quo deals to receive favors from businessmen in return for passing laws that would benefit them financially.

Police said that in Case 1000, they have concluded “that there is sufficient evidence against the prime minister on suspicions of the offense of accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust regarding his connection with businessman Arnon Milchan and fraud and breach of trust in connection with the Australian businessman James Packer.”
Arnon Milchan (center) with Shimon Peres (left) and Benjamin Netanyahu, March 28, 2005. (Flash90/File)

In Case 2000, they are recommending trying Netanyahu in court for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

In the so-called Case 1000, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from billionaire benefactors, amounting to some NIS 1 million ($282,000) worth of cigars and champagne from the Israeli-born Hollywood producer Milchan and Australian resort owner Packer.

The police estimated the gifts from Milchan amounted to NIS 750,000 ($212,000), as well as another NIS 250,000 ($70,000) from Packer.

Case 2000 involves a suspected illicit quid-pro-quo deal between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper publisher Arnon Mozes that would have seen the prime minister weaken a rival daily, the Sheldon Adelson-backed Israel Hayom, in return for more favorable coverage from Yedioth.

In addition to charging Netanyahu, police also recommend indicting Milchan and Mozes, saying that “there is sufficient evidence that suspicions of bribery were committed” by all three.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset on February 13, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

In a momentous and far-reaching announcement Tuesday night, police said they are recommending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for a series of serious corruption charges including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, and that they believe they have collected enough evidence to bring the cases to trial.

As the recommendations were published, new bombshell reports said the ostensible key witness against the prime minister in one of the cases was his political rival, former finance minister Yair Lapid.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories
Free Sign Up

The recommendations include indictments for bribery in both Case 1000 and Case 2000, as they have been dubbed. A decision to press formal charges against the veteran premier now rests with the attorney general’s office, which is expected to take weeks or months to decide how to proceed.

According to police, Netanyahu made a number of quid pro quo deals to receive favors from businessmen in return for passing laws that would benefit them financially.

Police said that in Case 1000, they have concluded “that there is sufficient evidence against the prime minister on suspicions of the offense of accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust regarding his connection with businessman Arnon Milchan and fraud and breach of trust in connection with the Australian businessman James Packer.”
Arnon Milchan (center) with Shimon Peres (left) and Benjamin Netanyahu, March 28, 2005. (Flash90/File)

In Case 2000, they are recommending trying Netanyahu in court for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

In the so-called Case 1000, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from billionaire benefactors, amounting to some NIS 1 million ($282,000) worth of cigars and champagne from the Israeli-born Hollywood producer Milchan and Australian resort owner Packer.

The police estimated the gifts from Milchan amounted to NIS 750,000 ($212,000), as well as another NIS 250,000 ($70,000) from Packer.

Case 2000 involves a suspected illicit quid-pro-quo deal between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper publisher Arnon Mozes that would have seen the prime minister weaken a rival daily, the Sheldon Adelson-backed Israel Hayom, in return for more favorable coverage from Yedioth.

In addition to charging Netanyahu, police also recommend indicting Milchan and Mozes, saying that “there is sufficient evidence that suspicions of bribery were committed” by all three.
Publisher and owner of Yedioth Aharonoth newspaper Arnon “Noni” Mozes arrives for questioning at the Lahav 433 investigation unit in Lod on January 17, 2017. (Roy Alima/Flash90)

According to reports on Tuesday evening, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid was a central witness against Netanyahu, providing evidence that the prime minister pushed for a 2008 law that gave his benefactors millions of dollars in tax breaks.

The recommendations were presented to the State Prosecution earlier Monday for consideration by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who alone has the power to bring charges against a sitting prime minister.

The statement from the police is expected to be followed in the next few days by a more detailed explanation from the State Prosecution, which will lay out each proposed charge against the prime minister.

Responding to the recommendations, Netanyahu said the months-long investigation into his alleged corruption amounts to “slander” against him and his family.

He said some 15 investigations have been opened against him, in order to “topple him from power.”

“They have brutally attacked my wife and children to hurt me,” he said, in live remarks delivered outside his home. “This time things will end without anything. these recommendations have no place in a democratic state.”

The prime minister further said he actively undercut Mozes in dissolving his government in 2013 to avoid the passage of the legislation that would hobble Israel Hayom.

The recommendations conclude two year-long investigations into alleged corruption by Netanyahu that have seen numerous leaks to media outlets. Netanyahu has been questioned in the cases seven times.

Police said that in return for the gifts, Netanyahu pushed a number of projects and even legislation that benefited Milchan and Packer directly.

The most significant of those, police said was Netanyahu’s successful effort to extend a 10-year tax exemption on income earned abroad to new immigrants as well as returning residents who have lived abroad for at least 10 years and other eligible new residents.

Both Milchan and Packer have likely saved millions of dollars from the law.

In addition, Milchan and Netanyahu promoted a free trade zone near the Jordan-Israel border that personally benefited Milchan, a trade holder, and pushed for a deal to merge Israeli media outlets, one partly owned by Milchan, according to police.

The police also concluded that in the second case, Netanyahu and Mozes had cut a mutually beneficial deal.

From 2009 “Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes held conversations and personal meetings during which they discussed helping each other as a quid-pro-quo to advance their respective interests,” said police.

Furthermore, the investigation revealed “that the sides took actual active steps in advancing each others interests in continuation of the understandings reached between them, or at least presented to each other as if they had acted that way.”

Police said that Netanyahu offered his support for a bill to close Israel Hayom, to help shrink the newspaper’s circulation numbers and to nix the free daily’s weekend edition. The law did not pass, as the government folded and went to elections in 2013.

In addition “the prime minister acted as an agent for the Yedioth Ahronoth publisher with other business people, in the purchase of Yedioth Ahronoth, while he was communications minister,” police said.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-re ... publisher/


Err, I guess I won't act surprised since Israeli politicians + corruption charges are a common thing.
#14888797
Zionist Nationalist wrote:skinser you support the most corrupt and bloody dictatorships there and you dare to speak about Israeli corruption which is nothing compared to Venezuela Syria or Pakistan :lol:


Oy vey, this is the Today's News section of the forum and you're off-topic. But going off-topic seems to be a common zionist trait so...I guess if you want to talk about those things, feel free to in the relevant threads. Quickly though, Syria and Venezuela were/are experiencing "Liberal intervention" and I defended/defend them against that, as I would any country threatened with imperialism. I don't recall ever supporting the government of Pakistan; of course they're corrupt as fuck, have shit politics etc. and unfortunately the culture sucks too for being super patriarchal.

See, I can call out the country of my birth. You can't call out the country of your birth...I mean, the one you settled in a few years ago, despite not being Jewish (and you complain about African refugees in Palestine, dude :lol: )

Enough! I'm not addressing anything else that's off-topic.

On topic:
Considering thousands (plural) have been murdered via bombs and whatnot under Nethanyahu's rule, this news is something to celebrate. Glenn Greenwald agrees:
#14889908
skinster wrote:as I would any country threatened with imperialism.


Western Sahara & Cyprus are under imperial occupation and you don't bitch. WHY?
#14889919
I don't know much about those issues but if they are under occupation then of course I would oppose that. Unfortunately I don't know the details about every political issue there is out there so sue me for talking about some things and not others.

Why do you talk about things unrelated to Nethanyahu's corruption charges in a thread about Nethanyahu's corruption charges? It's like you, dude who thinks he is a socialist, wants to ignore the crimes of the rightwinger Nethanyahu. What's that aboot? :?:
#14890033
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears, as of today, to be following the standard government head playbook. Military action against both Syria and the Palestinians has been increased, reminding the nation of the need to support their government. [Ed.: And, by inclusion. its leader.]

Nihil sub sole novum.
#14890051
Zionist Nationalist wrote:skinser you support the most corrupt and bloody dictatorships there and you dare to speak about Israeli corruption which is nothing compared to Venezuela Syria or Pakistan :lol:

European Jews have been "shooting up the school" that is Palestine for 70 years, and all the capitalist countries can do is kiss their asses because of the money connection. That same money connection "protects" oil companies and the war industry as well.

Every school shooter on earth has got to admire Bibi (gun) Netanyahu and all his lying, racist, murderer predecessors.
#14890191
skinster wrote:It's like you, dude who thinks he is a socialist, wants to ignore the crimes of the rightwinger Nethanyahu. What's that aboot? :?:



I've posted a few times last year I consider him guilty. I don't 'ignore' Netanyahu's activities behind the public eye.
#14890199
redcarpet wrote:I've posted a few times last year I consider him guilty. I don't 'ignore' Netanyahu's activities behind the public eye.



If racist BDS lynch mob want him out, it shows how important he for Israel interests. In America the accusations against him will not prove corruption. His oppents use the corruption card to criminalize policy differences. What happened last week, after all, was not an indictment but a recommendation that one be handed up.




https://www.nysun.com/foreign/netanyahu ... ase/90191/

Netanyahu’s Legal Woes
Look Like an Acute Case
Of the American Disease
By SETH LIPSKY, From the New York Post | February 14, 2018
23135
The recommendation of Israeli police that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for graft looks to me like an acute case of a malady that is itself a threat to the Jewish state.

I call it the American disease. This is the itch to criminalize policy differences, an infection America came down with in the 1980s and has been suffering from, on and off, ever since.

Just ask President Trump. He is being pursued by such a gaggle of Democrats dressed up as special prosecutors that it’s a wonder he finds time to do the job the voters hired him to do.

It’s not my purpose to suggest that Israel’s attorney general, who will decide on whether to pursue the charges the police have recommended, drop the case. No one is above the law.

The issue that worries me is larger than Mr. Netanyahu.

“Nearly every recent Israeli prime minister has been under constant investigation,” one of Israel’s greatest legal sages, Eugene Kontorovich, tells me.

(Yitzhak Rabin resigned his first term for keeping a foreign bank account. Ehud Barak was investigated for illegal campaign cash, Ariel Sharon was investigated but not charged. Ehud Olmert went to jail.)

While no one ought to be above the law, neither ought elected leaders be put further below it, so to speak, than other citizens. That presents its own kind of injustice.

Which may be why two newly reported polls show that most Israelis want Netanyahu to resign — but his party would still come in first were a vote held now.

The circumstances in which Messrs. Netanyahu and Trump were elected are strikingly similar. They both tapped into sentiments that completely escaped the pollsters. That made the left furious.

No sooner was Mr. Trump president-elect than Democrats started beating the drums for a criminal investigation. They wanted him to be charged on allegations the voters weighed on Election Day.

That’s partly, but not completely, true in the case of Netanyahu, whose enemies have long been grousing about his rich friends.

Let Israel study what happened to, say, Senator Menendez of New Jersey. As he was leading the fight against President Obama’s appeasement of Iran, the feds indicted him for taking gifts from a pal.

It is true that Mr. Menendez’s reputation stank long before the Iran nuclear deal. Voters gave him a second term, though, partly for his willingness to stand up for Israel.

When the charges were put to trial, the jury hung — reportedly 10 to 2 in favor of acquittal. Just last month the government finally announced it won’t attempt to try him again.

It did that because our Supreme Court has wised up to the American disease. The high court has been making clear that in these graft cases, the government really has to prove an actual quid pro quo.

That was the unanimous opinion of the justices in the case involving the Republican ex-governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell. He had been convicted to taking bribery for gifts received while he was in office.

Only later did the Supreme Court conclude that Mr. McDonnell was not guilty. The prosecution failed to show that there was a clear quid pro quo for the gifts Mr. McDonnell had taken.

Israel has its own set of laws, of course, and doesn’t even have a constitution (one could quip that it answers to a higher authority). That doesn’t mean it can’t learn from the American experience.

That may be why Mr. Netanyahu declared Tuesday that he intends to stand his ground. What happened this week, after all, was not an indictment but a recommendation that one be handed up.

This puts the decision in the hands of Israel’s attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit. The New York Times, naturally, rushed out a story about how it was Mr. Netanyahu who promoted General Mandelblit.

Just like the Democrats complained about Attorney General Sessions. He folded like a cheap suit, recusing himself on Russia and leaving a deputy to appoint a special prosecutor.

What our experience teaches is the importance of defining graft in a serious, explicit way. Gifts from rich friends who may or may not also get constituent services aren’t enough, even if such gifts are tacky.

Putting politicians under constant investigation — a symptom of the American disease — is never more dangerous than when war clouds are scudding. One can bet that Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un and the ayatollahs in Tehran are watching.

From the New York Post.

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