27 nov 2016
Yair Grinshpan
Thirty persons have been arrested on suspicion of arson and five for incitement, including a 37-year-old resident of Ganei Tikva who was granted conditional release.
Yair Grinshpan, a 37-year-old resident of Ganei Tikva near Petach Tikvah, was arrested on Saturday night after calling on his Facebook page “to burn Arab villages,” one of five persons arrested thus far for online incitement to violence following the recent wave of fires.
Grinshpan was granted conditional release by the Tel Aviv Magistrates' Court for of his suspected offenses of incitement to violence. He was ordered not to use his mobile phone or computer for the next month.
The suspect was arrested at midnight Sunday after writing, among other things: "What happened in Haifa and Jerusalem will happen in Umm al-Fahm," he wrote in reference to the Arab town located northwest of Jenin, "to burn the sons of bitches back."
"Just burning Arab villages in return; this is war," read another of his inflammatory posts. "To all the leftists who believe in piece, know that in the Palestinian Authority they're happily calling to burn more places here."
The accused's lawyer, Limor Bramli, claimed that her client was not permitted to consult with a lawyer before his arrest and protested the fact that his computer was taken without a warrant. "My client expressed his opinion on Facebook with a group of a lot of other people who expressed their opinion," she told Ynet. "There were opinions that were a lot more extreme than his opinions, but he was chosen as a scapegoat without a justified reason. He expressed an opinion and didn't tell others to commit a physical act. He wrote words in the framework of freedom of expression."
At the time of publication, the Israel Police have arrested 23 suspects for arson relating to the wave of fires that plagued the country over the past week, 18 of whom are Arab Israelis, with the rest being Palestinians. Twenty-three of them remain jailed. They have also arrested five persons—three Jews, including Grinshpan, and two Arabs—for online incitement.
The arrests for online incitement were carried out following the instructions of Interior Minister Gilad Erdan, who called on the police to work to curtail this trend.
The police reported to the government in the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that some residents of Deir Hanna and Umm al-Fahm confessed to having intentionally started fires, the first admissions of guilt in the investigation.
Thirty persons have been arrested on suspicion of arson and five for incitement, including a 37-year-old resident of Ganei Tikva who was granted conditional release.
Yair Grinshpan, a 37-year-old resident of Ganei Tikva near Petach Tikvah, was arrested on Saturday night after calling on his Facebook page “to burn Arab villages,” one of five persons arrested thus far for online incitement to violence following the recent wave of fires.
Grinshpan was granted conditional release by the Tel Aviv Magistrates' Court for of his suspected offenses of incitement to violence. He was ordered not to use his mobile phone or computer for the next month.
The suspect was arrested at midnight Sunday after writing, among other things: "What happened in Haifa and Jerusalem will happen in Umm al-Fahm," he wrote in reference to the Arab town located northwest of Jenin, "to burn the sons of bitches back."
"Just burning Arab villages in return; this is war," read another of his inflammatory posts. "To all the leftists who believe in piece, know that in the Palestinian Authority they're happily calling to burn more places here."
The accused's lawyer, Limor Bramli, claimed that her client was not permitted to consult with a lawyer before his arrest and protested the fact that his computer was taken without a warrant. "My client expressed his opinion on Facebook with a group of a lot of other people who expressed their opinion," she told Ynet. "There were opinions that were a lot more extreme than his opinions, but he was chosen as a scapegoat without a justified reason. He expressed an opinion and didn't tell others to commit a physical act. He wrote words in the framework of freedom of expression."
At the time of publication, the Israel Police have arrested 23 suspects for arson relating to the wave of fires that plagued the country over the past week, 18 of whom are Arab Israelis, with the rest being Palestinians. Twenty-three of them remain jailed. They have also arrested five persons—three Jews, including Grinshpan, and two Arabs—for online incitement.
The arrests for online incitement were carried out following the instructions of Interior Minister Gilad Erdan, who called on the police to work to curtail this trend.
The police reported to the government in the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that some residents of Deir Hanna and Umm al-Fahm confessed to having intentionally started fires, the first admissions of guilt in the investigation.
18 nov 2016
Brig. Gen. (res.) Avriel Bar-Yosef
Police suspect German businessman Michael Herzog, an associate of would-be national security advisor Brig. Gen. (res.) Avriel Bar-Yosef, invested in a startup founded by Bar-Yosef's daughter as a way to butter up her father so he would promote Herzog's business interests in Israel's gas market.
New details have emerged from the investigation into Brig. Gen. (res.) Avriel Bar-Yosef, who was slated to become the new head of Israel's National Security Council (NSC).
Bar-Yosef, 61, was arrested for the alleged offenses of bribery, money laundering, fraud, and breach of trust, while working to promote the interests of a German business associate.
Police investigators suspect that German businessman Michael Herzog invested 700,000 euros (roughly NIS 3 million) in a startup company founded by Bar-Yosef's daughter, Dr. Hila Fogel, in an effort to butter up Bar-Yosef himself—the deputy head of the NSC at the time—so he would promote Herzog's business interests in Israel's gas market.
Bar-Yosef is suspected of using "security reasons" as a pretext to build a gas facility that cost billions of dollars, which benefited Herzog's business interests. This, despite objections from international experts in the gas field.
Bar-Yosef denies the allegations against him.
It has now come to light that Bar-Yosef's daughter was also arrested and questioned over suspicions of conspiring to commit a crime, receiving bribes and laundering money.
Investigative journalists from Ynet's print-publication Yedioth Ahronoth found that Herzog had Bar-Yosef's daughter, Dr. Hila Fogel, fly to Berlin on his private plane three months ago, but it now seems that the VIP treatment was only a small perk compared to the hefty sums she allegedly received from Herzog's investment fund.
Dr. Fogel, a neurophysiology researcher who researches Alzheimer's among other things, founded a company called NIBS two years ago with a fellow researcher from Tel Aviv University. The company deals with electrical brain stimulation.
In early 2015, Fogel traveled to France to meet with potential investors. A month later, Herzog's investment fund decided to invest 700,000 euros in the project in return for control of 30 percent of the company's stocks.
Police investigators claim this investment in Fogel's company was actually a bribe meant for her father Bar-Yosef.
Police suspect German businessman Michael Herzog, an associate of would-be national security advisor Brig. Gen. (res.) Avriel Bar-Yosef, invested in a startup founded by Bar-Yosef's daughter as a way to butter up her father so he would promote Herzog's business interests in Israel's gas market.
New details have emerged from the investigation into Brig. Gen. (res.) Avriel Bar-Yosef, who was slated to become the new head of Israel's National Security Council (NSC).
Bar-Yosef, 61, was arrested for the alleged offenses of bribery, money laundering, fraud, and breach of trust, while working to promote the interests of a German business associate.
Police investigators suspect that German businessman Michael Herzog invested 700,000 euros (roughly NIS 3 million) in a startup company founded by Bar-Yosef's daughter, Dr. Hila Fogel, in an effort to butter up Bar-Yosef himself—the deputy head of the NSC at the time—so he would promote Herzog's business interests in Israel's gas market.
Bar-Yosef is suspected of using "security reasons" as a pretext to build a gas facility that cost billions of dollars, which benefited Herzog's business interests. This, despite objections from international experts in the gas field.
Bar-Yosef denies the allegations against him.
It has now come to light that Bar-Yosef's daughter was also arrested and questioned over suspicions of conspiring to commit a crime, receiving bribes and laundering money.
Investigative journalists from Ynet's print-publication Yedioth Ahronoth found that Herzog had Bar-Yosef's daughter, Dr. Hila Fogel, fly to Berlin on his private plane three months ago, but it now seems that the VIP treatment was only a small perk compared to the hefty sums she allegedly received from Herzog's investment fund.
Dr. Fogel, a neurophysiology researcher who researches Alzheimer's among other things, founded a company called NIBS two years ago with a fellow researcher from Tel Aviv University. The company deals with electrical brain stimulation.
In early 2015, Fogel traveled to France to meet with potential investors. A month later, Herzog's investment fund decided to invest 700,000 euros in the project in return for control of 30 percent of the company's stocks.
Police investigators claim this investment in Fogel's company was actually a bribe meant for her father Bar-Yosef.
Dr. Hila Fogel
Fogel denied the allegations against her, claiming it was a "legitimate investment," which was accepted after she sought legal counsel on the matter. She confirmed to police investigators that her father was indeed the one who introduced Herzog to the company, but claimed there was no obligation made on Herzog's part. In support of her claims, Fogel noted that Herzog is a physicist and that's why his investment in her startup made sense.
After being questioned, Bar-Yosef and Fogel were both put on a five-day house arrest.
Bar-Yosef's lawyer, Jacques Chen, said the police investigation "is looking into matters that have been made public in the past by interest groups. Mr. Bar-Yosef answered all of the investigators' questions and clarified the situation to them. I'm confident that at the end of the investigation, allegations will be proven baseless and no faults will have been found in his conduct."
Yaron London, who represents Fogel, said: "My client acted innocently. She had legal counsel the entire time, and is certainly not connected to the accusations the investigators made against her."
Bar-Yosef is also suspected of involvement in Israel's deal with Germany to buy three new submarines and on Thursday it was revealed his German business associate Herzog was involved as well.
According to information obtained by Yedioth Ahronoth, Herzog, who heads the private equity and investment fund IFC, sought to buy an abandoned shipyard in Portugal several years ago for 250 million euros. He explained to his board that this would allow him to own a naval company that could be used to acquire the manufacturers of technological equipment for submarines, and later secure a financial return on the investment from the Israeli government. The board, however, did not approve the deal.
Fogel denied the allegations against her, claiming it was a "legitimate investment," which was accepted after she sought legal counsel on the matter. She confirmed to police investigators that her father was indeed the one who introduced Herzog to the company, but claimed there was no obligation made on Herzog's part. In support of her claims, Fogel noted that Herzog is a physicist and that's why his investment in her startup made sense.
After being questioned, Bar-Yosef and Fogel were both put on a five-day house arrest.
Bar-Yosef's lawyer, Jacques Chen, said the police investigation "is looking into matters that have been made public in the past by interest groups. Mr. Bar-Yosef answered all of the investigators' questions and clarified the situation to them. I'm confident that at the end of the investigation, allegations will be proven baseless and no faults will have been found in his conduct."
Yaron London, who represents Fogel, said: "My client acted innocently. She had legal counsel the entire time, and is certainly not connected to the accusations the investigators made against her."
Bar-Yosef is also suspected of involvement in Israel's deal with Germany to buy three new submarines and on Thursday it was revealed his German business associate Herzog was involved as well.
According to information obtained by Yedioth Ahronoth, Herzog, who heads the private equity and investment fund IFC, sought to buy an abandoned shipyard in Portugal several years ago for 250 million euros. He explained to his board that this would allow him to own a naval company that could be used to acquire the manufacturers of technological equipment for submarines, and later secure a financial return on the investment from the Israeli government. The board, however, did not approve the deal.
16 nov 2016
An Israeli woman working in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) filed a complaint of sexual harassment against a staff member, Israeli outlets reported Tuesday.
According to the Israeli Yedioth Ahronot newspaper, the assault dates back to a few weeks ago when a female employee complained to her director in the office about being sexually abused.
The woman was reportedly boiling with rage and burst into tears as she confessed the case.
Current employees in Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said they heard the director as responding to the victim by telling her: “You should not be here, then. Take your luggage and go back home. I don’t want to see you here again. You’re fired!”
Following the verbal assault, the victim sent a report to the judicial office in charge of feminist issues and reported cases of sexual abuse.
The victim was transferred to another department in the PMO after the judge ruled for restoring her post.
A probe is expected to be launched into the accusations in due course, according to sources from Netanyahu’s office.
According to the Israeli Yedioth Ahronot newspaper, the assault dates back to a few weeks ago when a female employee complained to her director in the office about being sexually abused.
The woman was reportedly boiling with rage and burst into tears as she confessed the case.
Current employees in Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said they heard the director as responding to the victim by telling her: “You should not be here, then. Take your luggage and go back home. I don’t want to see you here again. You’re fired!”
Following the verbal assault, the victim sent a report to the judicial office in charge of feminist issues and reported cases of sexual abuse.
The victim was transferred to another department in the PMO after the judge ruled for restoring her post.
A probe is expected to be launched into the accusations in due course, according to sources from Netanyahu’s office.
13 nov 2016
After being beaten by Jewish youths in a nationalistically motivated attack, Palestinian taxi driver to receive status of 'victim of enemy hostilities' by national health insurance; now eligible for more state benefits.
Ishaq abu-Jibne -a Palestinian taxi driver who was attacked by Jews in downtown Jerusalem – has been recognized by the police as “the victim of enemy hostilities.”
The incident happened in August when five Jewish youths approached the taxi driver, and yelled “this is our country – go work in Gaza.”
As abu-Jibne began trying to back away from them, the youths pulled out mace and sprayed him, threw rocks at him, then beat him.
Although the police did arrive on the scene and order the Palestinian taxi driver an ambulance, they never went to the hospital to receive a statement from him. Abu-Jibne has to go to the police station himself to file a complaint, but by that time the security camera footage had already been erased.
His case was closed due to lack of evidence.
Because his file was closed, he wasn’t able to be recognized by the national health insurance as a victim of enemy hostilities – a designation which would have made him eligible for a variety of state benefits.
After abu-Jibne’s case was published in Yediot Ahronot, the case was reopened, and the police ruled that the injuries abu-Jibne sustained were in fact the result of a nationalistic attack, and is now on the way to being recognized by the national health insurance as a “victim of enemy hostilities.”
Ishaq abu-Jibne -a Palestinian taxi driver who was attacked by Jews in downtown Jerusalem – has been recognized by the police as “the victim of enemy hostilities.”
The incident happened in August when five Jewish youths approached the taxi driver, and yelled “this is our country – go work in Gaza.”
As abu-Jibne began trying to back away from them, the youths pulled out mace and sprayed him, threw rocks at him, then beat him.
Although the police did arrive on the scene and order the Palestinian taxi driver an ambulance, they never went to the hospital to receive a statement from him. Abu-Jibne has to go to the police station himself to file a complaint, but by that time the security camera footage had already been erased.
His case was closed due to lack of evidence.
Because his file was closed, he wasn’t able to be recognized by the national health insurance as a victim of enemy hostilities – a designation which would have made him eligible for a variety of state benefits.
After abu-Jibne’s case was published in Yediot Ahronot, the case was reopened, and the police ruled that the injuries abu-Jibne sustained were in fact the result of a nationalistic attack, and is now on the way to being recognized by the national health insurance as a “victim of enemy hostilities.”
11 nov 2016
The Israel Police announced on Thursday that it has opened an investigation against former Netanyahu chief of staff and Likud fund-raiser Ari Harow on suspicion of fraud while he was working in the Prime Minister’s Office.
The police said the case is not related to the ongoing corruption investigation of the prime minister.
Harow was questioned at the Lahav 433 special investigations unit. Police said they are probing Harow for suspected breach of trust, fraud, bribery, tax evasion, money laundering and falsifying corporate documents, regarding a company that Harow owned and sold once he assumed his job in the PMO.
In a statement, Lahav 433 said it suspects Harow of seeking to promote his company while still owning it and allegedly misrepresenting his disconnection from it.
A lawyer, whose name is under gag order, is also being investigated in connection with the case.
In July, police questioned Harow for 14 hours regarding an ongoing Netanyahu corruption investigation and released him to house arrest.
Harow, who holds dual US-Israel citizenship, was born in Los Angeles in 1973 and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1985. He served Netanyahu in different capacities for the past 15 years before he was appointed chief of staff at the Prime Minister’s Office in 2014. He served in the position for roughly one year before leaving to run Netanyahu’s reelection campaign.
The police said the case is not related to the ongoing corruption investigation of the prime minister.
Harow was questioned at the Lahav 433 special investigations unit. Police said they are probing Harow for suspected breach of trust, fraud, bribery, tax evasion, money laundering and falsifying corporate documents, regarding a company that Harow owned and sold once he assumed his job in the PMO.
In a statement, Lahav 433 said it suspects Harow of seeking to promote his company while still owning it and allegedly misrepresenting his disconnection from it.
A lawyer, whose name is under gag order, is also being investigated in connection with the case.
In July, police questioned Harow for 14 hours regarding an ongoing Netanyahu corruption investigation and released him to house arrest.
Harow, who holds dual US-Israel citizenship, was born in Los Angeles in 1973 and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1985. He served Netanyahu in different capacities for the past 15 years before he was appointed chief of staff at the Prime Minister’s Office in 2014. He served in the position for roughly one year before leaving to run Netanyahu’s reelection campaign.
