3 sept 2017
Michael Mor
Raids and arrests of notorious crime boss Michael Mor and 32 other mobsters come after year-long operations by undercover agent; cops seize large amounts of weapons, ammunition and drugs.
After nearly a year of operating an undercover cop within northern Israel's major crime organizations, the police carried out arrests overnight Saturday of suspected arms and drug traffickers, arresting 33 of them, including the infamous crime boss Michael Mor, and confiscating large amounts of guns, ammunition and drugs.
Mor, 39, is a renowned criminal and resident of Ramat Gan who is believed by the police to head a major criminal organization in northern Israel. His remand was extended by nine days, as he faces charges of running a criminal outfit, importing and trading drugs, trading weapons and weapon accessories, and trading in stolen car parts.
Another person arrested during the operation is Shimon Sharvit, 37, Mor's right-hand man and the son-in-law of Ze'ev Rosenstein, an infamous drug trafficker.
There have been several violent incidents in Nahariya and the Krayot in recent weeks as part of the infighting between the criminal underground gangs in the north, where grenades and explosive charges have been used to eliminate rivals.
Just last Thursday, an explosive device detonated underneath a car belonging to a person connected to one of those organizations, stationed in Kiryat Haim in Haifa, seriously wounding its owner.
The investigation against the crime organization, which was originally based in Nahariya, is usually conducted by the police's Central Command in the Coastal District. This time, however, the investigation was conducted by the Central Command in the Northern District, and also encompassed the phenomenon of arms trafficking in the Arab sector.
As part of the undercover agent's activities, he purchased weapons and drugs, including two Carl Gustav rifles, an M-16 rifle, an MP5 submachine gun, a FN pistol, a Beretta pistol and a silencer, a Glock pistol, a Smith & Wesson pistol, and four more guns of different types. In addition, he bought half a kilogram of cocaine and 2.7 kilograms of marijuana.
The police also seized drugs, about NIS 200,000 in cash and several vehicles and motorcycles, which were believed to have been used by the suspected criminals to carry out transactions.
The investigation was made known when on early Sunday morning, about 250 police officers, detectives, border police officers, border guards, K-9 handlers and others surrounded and raided the houses of suspects in Ramat Gan, Petah Tikva, Afula, Migdal Ha'emek, Nahariya, Umm al-Fahm, and Shibli–Umm al-Ghanam.
Seven people suspected of involvement are already held in prison for previous offenses.
The police said this is part of its determined struggle against serious and violent crime, especially the phenomenon of illegal weapons in the Arab sector, dealing in various types of weapons, drug trafficking and violence over disputes between criminal organizations, which they defined as "a danger to the peace and security of the general public."
"The suspects strongly deny the suspicions against them," said the lawyers representing them. "We have no doubt that this is a false arrest and that they will be released in the next few days."
Raids and arrests of notorious crime boss Michael Mor and 32 other mobsters come after year-long operations by undercover agent; cops seize large amounts of weapons, ammunition and drugs.
After nearly a year of operating an undercover cop within northern Israel's major crime organizations, the police carried out arrests overnight Saturday of suspected arms and drug traffickers, arresting 33 of them, including the infamous crime boss Michael Mor, and confiscating large amounts of guns, ammunition and drugs.
Mor, 39, is a renowned criminal and resident of Ramat Gan who is believed by the police to head a major criminal organization in northern Israel. His remand was extended by nine days, as he faces charges of running a criminal outfit, importing and trading drugs, trading weapons and weapon accessories, and trading in stolen car parts.
Another person arrested during the operation is Shimon Sharvit, 37, Mor's right-hand man and the son-in-law of Ze'ev Rosenstein, an infamous drug trafficker.
There have been several violent incidents in Nahariya and the Krayot in recent weeks as part of the infighting between the criminal underground gangs in the north, where grenades and explosive charges have been used to eliminate rivals.
Just last Thursday, an explosive device detonated underneath a car belonging to a person connected to one of those organizations, stationed in Kiryat Haim in Haifa, seriously wounding its owner.
The investigation against the crime organization, which was originally based in Nahariya, is usually conducted by the police's Central Command in the Coastal District. This time, however, the investigation was conducted by the Central Command in the Northern District, and also encompassed the phenomenon of arms trafficking in the Arab sector.
As part of the undercover agent's activities, he purchased weapons and drugs, including two Carl Gustav rifles, an M-16 rifle, an MP5 submachine gun, a FN pistol, a Beretta pistol and a silencer, a Glock pistol, a Smith & Wesson pistol, and four more guns of different types. In addition, he bought half a kilogram of cocaine and 2.7 kilograms of marijuana.
The police also seized drugs, about NIS 200,000 in cash and several vehicles and motorcycles, which were believed to have been used by the suspected criminals to carry out transactions.
The investigation was made known when on early Sunday morning, about 250 police officers, detectives, border police officers, border guards, K-9 handlers and others surrounded and raided the houses of suspects in Ramat Gan, Petah Tikva, Afula, Migdal Ha'emek, Nahariya, Umm al-Fahm, and Shibli–Umm al-Ghanam.
Seven people suspected of involvement are already held in prison for previous offenses.
The police said this is part of its determined struggle against serious and violent crime, especially the phenomenon of illegal weapons in the Arab sector, dealing in various types of weapons, drug trafficking and violence over disputes between criminal organizations, which they defined as "a danger to the peace and security of the general public."
"The suspects strongly deny the suspicions against them," said the lawyers representing them. "We have no doubt that this is a false arrest and that they will be released in the next few days."
David Sharan
Former top official in Netanyahu's bureau suspected of involvement in submarine probe named as David Sharan, who police are seeking to turn into a state witness against his former boss; 'He could be Ari Harow 2,' say investigators; other suspects detained include IDF officials, such as fmr. navy commander Eliezer Marom, while their homes and offices were raided for possible evidence.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's former chief of staff David Sharan was identified Sunday evening as one of the suspects police are seeking to flip into a state witness in the submarine affair, also referred to as Case 3000.
Sharan was one of the six people who were detained Sunday morning for questioning over suspicions of bribery in the affair, as part of the ongoing investigation into the purchase of submarines from Germany for the Israeli Navy.
The Rishon LeZion Magistrates’ Court extended his arrest Sunday evening by five days after investigators marked him as one of the suspects who possessed critical information on the affair.
Former top official in Netanyahu's bureau suspected of involvement in submarine probe named as David Sharan, who police are seeking to turn into a state witness against his former boss; 'He could be Ari Harow 2,' say investigators; other suspects detained include IDF officials, such as fmr. navy commander Eliezer Marom, while their homes and offices were raided for possible evidence.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's former chief of staff David Sharan was identified Sunday evening as one of the suspects police are seeking to flip into a state witness in the submarine affair, also referred to as Case 3000.
Sharan was one of the six people who were detained Sunday morning for questioning over suspicions of bribery in the affair, as part of the ongoing investigation into the purchase of submarines from Germany for the Israeli Navy.
The Rishon LeZion Magistrates’ Court extended his arrest Sunday evening by five days after investigators marked him as one of the suspects who possessed critical information on the affair.
Former navy chief Eliezer Marom was detained for questioning
Also detained for questioning were several former top IDF officers, among them former Navy commander Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eliezer Marom and a former commander in the elite Shayetet 13 naval commando unit, with the latter's remand extended until Wednesday. A gag order was placed in the publication of his name.
A police spokesperson said the persons detained are suspected of financial and ethical offenses.
"The six were detained this morning and their homes and offices were searched in order to apprehend documents relevant to the investigation," a police statement said.
Another one of the suspects arrested was strategic advisor Nati Mor to whom police attribute offenses of bribery and the transfer of money to a public servant. His arrest was also extended.
State witness Miki Ganor provided his investigators with detailed testimony as to the criminal offenses he had committed both in the submarine affair and other deals in which he acted as a go-between for the security establishment, giving rise to the wave of arrests on Sunday.
While the precise contents of his testimony could not originally be fully divulged to the public due to a gag order, a top police official said last month Ganor also provided investigators with tapes and text messages. "He's giving us excellent materials," the police admitted.
By Sunday afternoon, Ynet had obtained information on evidence provided by Ganor, which pointed to the fact that the mechanisms of bribery were well greased and intended to be hidden and implicated the arrested suspects.
Ganor allegedly said that in a bid to win the submarine tender, he signed fictitious agreements with strategic advisors worth hundreds of thousands of shekels which eventually flowed, as bribes, into the pockets of a former senior official in Netanyahu’s bureau, which turned out to be Sharan.
Ganor’s testimony has raised suspicion in the police that he sought to ensure his appointment using the connection he made with that former PMO official.
The police believe Sharan was a key player in the affair and possesses crucial and substantial pieces of evidence.
Meanwhile, it was reported Sunday evening that police were considering offering state witness status in return for his cooperation to a former official in Netanyahu’s bureau who was one of the six who were arrested.
“He knows a lot about what took place during the period in which he worked,” police officials said.
Police also intend to request extending the Sharan's arrest due to Ganor’s testimony and, placing such value on the information he possesses, have said “he could be an Ari Harow 2."
Ganor—who served as representative for the German ThyssenKrupp company that builds submarines for the Israeli Navy—said in his testimony adv. David Shimron, the prime minister's personal attorney, was set to receive commission estimated to total $10 million (NIS 35 million) in order to push through the decision to purchase the submarines.
"The claims made here are so far removed from reality that it's inconceivable the state witness made them to the police," said attorneys Jacob Weinroth and Amit Hadad on behalf of Shimron. "In any event, in the entire period Shimron represented Ganor he acted as an attorney and all of his actions were aboveboard."
Also detained for questioning were several former top IDF officers, among them former Navy commander Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eliezer Marom and a former commander in the elite Shayetet 13 naval commando unit, with the latter's remand extended until Wednesday. A gag order was placed in the publication of his name.
A police spokesperson said the persons detained are suspected of financial and ethical offenses.
"The six were detained this morning and their homes and offices were searched in order to apprehend documents relevant to the investigation," a police statement said.
Another one of the suspects arrested was strategic advisor Nati Mor to whom police attribute offenses of bribery and the transfer of money to a public servant. His arrest was also extended.
State witness Miki Ganor provided his investigators with detailed testimony as to the criminal offenses he had committed both in the submarine affair and other deals in which he acted as a go-between for the security establishment, giving rise to the wave of arrests on Sunday.
While the precise contents of his testimony could not originally be fully divulged to the public due to a gag order, a top police official said last month Ganor also provided investigators with tapes and text messages. "He's giving us excellent materials," the police admitted.
By Sunday afternoon, Ynet had obtained information on evidence provided by Ganor, which pointed to the fact that the mechanisms of bribery were well greased and intended to be hidden and implicated the arrested suspects.
Ganor allegedly said that in a bid to win the submarine tender, he signed fictitious agreements with strategic advisors worth hundreds of thousands of shekels which eventually flowed, as bribes, into the pockets of a former senior official in Netanyahu’s bureau, which turned out to be Sharan.
Ganor’s testimony has raised suspicion in the police that he sought to ensure his appointment using the connection he made with that former PMO official.
The police believe Sharan was a key player in the affair and possesses crucial and substantial pieces of evidence.
Meanwhile, it was reported Sunday evening that police were considering offering state witness status in return for his cooperation to a former official in Netanyahu’s bureau who was one of the six who were arrested.
“He knows a lot about what took place during the period in which he worked,” police officials said.
Police also intend to request extending the Sharan's arrest due to Ganor’s testimony and, placing such value on the information he possesses, have said “he could be an Ari Harow 2."
Ganor—who served as representative for the German ThyssenKrupp company that builds submarines for the Israeli Navy—said in his testimony adv. David Shimron, the prime minister's personal attorney, was set to receive commission estimated to total $10 million (NIS 35 million) in order to push through the decision to purchase the submarines.
"The claims made here are so far removed from reality that it's inconceivable the state witness made them to the police," said attorneys Jacob Weinroth and Amit Hadad on behalf of Shimron. "In any event, in the entire period Shimron represented Ganor he acted as an attorney and all of his actions were aboveboard."
9 sept 2017
According to Israeli media, over 200 Israelis marched from central Jerusalem to the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, Friday, to protest the eviction of a Palestinian family from their homes. The demonstrators marched on West Jerusalem’s thoroughfare until they crossed over into the Palestinian neighborhood, where they were met by dozens of local Palestinian protesters.
On Friday, police took two residents of Sheikh Jarrah, who marched in the direction of the Israelis, into custody — one for waving a Palestinian flag, and the other — a minor — following settler complaints to the police. The minor was only detained for a short period of time, although his mother collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital upon his detention. Meanwhile, during the Israeli march toward Sheikh Jarrah, a passerby threw eggs at the demonstrators. Among the marchers were Joint List head Ayman Odeh and Yousef Jabareen, also of the Joint List, 972mag reported.
After the marchers arrived in the neighborhood, one of the Israeli protesters climbed the Shamasna family home and removed the Israeli flag hung by settlers who had commandeered the house. In response, the settlers attacked some of the protesters, throwing stones and pepper spraying them. Two Israeli marchers were arrested.
Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem performed Friday prayers in front of the Shamasna family home, in an act of protest against the family’s forced eviction.
Members of the Shamasna family participated in the prayers held outside their home, along with Palestinian Mayor of Jerusalem Adnan al-Husayni, Fatah’s Jerusalem Secretary Shadi Mtour, Fateh official Hattem Abd al-Qader, and other religious and national figures.
Sheikh Abdullah Alqam, who gave Friday’s Khutbah — Islamic sermon — condemned the expulsion of the Shamasna family from their home and said that the Israeli legal system was “biased” towards Israeli settlers.
Alqam said that, despite Israel’s relentless attempts to displace Palestinians from Jerusalem, Jerusalemites were determined to defend their rights and existence in the city.
Mohammed Shamasna, 45, and his son Dirar, 23, were released from Israeli jail on Thursday after being detained during the settler-driven eviction on Tuesday. While earlier reports noted that no release conditions were placed on the two, locals said on Friday that Mohammed was banned from entering Sheikh Jarrah for two weeks. It was unclear if this also applied to Dirar.
The Shamasna family was the latest Palestinian family to be evicted from the neighborhood since 2009 under an Israeli law that allows Jewish Israelis to claim ownership over properties that had once been owned by Jews before 1948, when thousands fled East Jerusalem during the Arab-Israeli war.
However, this law does not extend to Palestinians, hundreds of thousands of whom were displaced from their lands and homes in present-day Israel in 1948.
Sheikh Jarrah has become a central target for Jewish ownership claims, as the neighborhood was allegedly once the site of a 19th century Jewish community.
In 2009, the Um Kamel al-Kurd, Ghawi, and Hanoun families were completely evicted from their homes, while Israeli settlers partially took over the al-Kurd family home, who still live side-by-side years later. More than 60 Palestinians were displaced during the wave of evictions in 2009.
On Sunday, six more Palestinian families were handed eviction notices, ordering them to leave their homes within 30 days owing to Israeli settler claims on their properties.
The European Union Representative and the EU Heads of Mission in Jerusalem and Ramallah released a joint statement on Friday condemning the eviction in Sheikh Jarrah.
“Further settlement plans foreseeing large scale construction and evictions in Sheikh Jarrah are being moved forward by the planning authorities. The EU has repeatedly called on the Israeli authorities to reconsider these decisions,” the statement read.
The statement reiterated the EU’s stance on the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and “its strong opposition to Israel’s settlement policy and actions taken in this context, including evictions and demolitions.”
“Settlement activity in East Jerusalem seriously jeopardizes the possibility of Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both States,” the statement added.
Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Scott Anderson said in the statement on Wednesday that he was “appalled at the resumption of forced evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and particularly worried about the humanitarian impact on this refugee family (Shamasna).”
“Palestine refugees, who have already endured multiple episodes of displacement, should not be subjected to forced evictions,” Anderson said.
According to UN documentation, 180 Palestinian families — comprising of 818 individuals, 372 of whom are children — are at risk of forcible displacement in East Jerusalem owing to settler-driven evictions. UNRWA noted that in Sheikh Jarrah, 60 percent of those at risk of displacement are Palestinian refugees.
Israeli rights group Ir Amim has noted that Israeli settler plans have focused on taking control of the entire neighborhood and then demolishing it to establish a massive Jewish settlement there.
The settlement would be called Shimon HaTzadik, named after the tomb of the biblical figure Simeon the Just, which is believed by Jews to be located in the neighborhood, and which the 19th century Jewish community had also allegedly once been called.
On Friday, police took two residents of Sheikh Jarrah, who marched in the direction of the Israelis, into custody — one for waving a Palestinian flag, and the other — a minor — following settler complaints to the police. The minor was only detained for a short period of time, although his mother collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital upon his detention. Meanwhile, during the Israeli march toward Sheikh Jarrah, a passerby threw eggs at the demonstrators. Among the marchers were Joint List head Ayman Odeh and Yousef Jabareen, also of the Joint List, 972mag reported.
After the marchers arrived in the neighborhood, one of the Israeli protesters climbed the Shamasna family home and removed the Israeli flag hung by settlers who had commandeered the house. In response, the settlers attacked some of the protesters, throwing stones and pepper spraying them. Two Israeli marchers were arrested.
Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem performed Friday prayers in front of the Shamasna family home, in an act of protest against the family’s forced eviction.
Members of the Shamasna family participated in the prayers held outside their home, along with Palestinian Mayor of Jerusalem Adnan al-Husayni, Fatah’s Jerusalem Secretary Shadi Mtour, Fateh official Hattem Abd al-Qader, and other religious and national figures.
Sheikh Abdullah Alqam, who gave Friday’s Khutbah — Islamic sermon — condemned the expulsion of the Shamasna family from their home and said that the Israeli legal system was “biased” towards Israeli settlers.
Alqam said that, despite Israel’s relentless attempts to displace Palestinians from Jerusalem, Jerusalemites were determined to defend their rights and existence in the city.
Mohammed Shamasna, 45, and his son Dirar, 23, were released from Israeli jail on Thursday after being detained during the settler-driven eviction on Tuesday. While earlier reports noted that no release conditions were placed on the two, locals said on Friday that Mohammed was banned from entering Sheikh Jarrah for two weeks. It was unclear if this also applied to Dirar.
The Shamasna family was the latest Palestinian family to be evicted from the neighborhood since 2009 under an Israeli law that allows Jewish Israelis to claim ownership over properties that had once been owned by Jews before 1948, when thousands fled East Jerusalem during the Arab-Israeli war.
However, this law does not extend to Palestinians, hundreds of thousands of whom were displaced from their lands and homes in present-day Israel in 1948.
Sheikh Jarrah has become a central target for Jewish ownership claims, as the neighborhood was allegedly once the site of a 19th century Jewish community.
In 2009, the Um Kamel al-Kurd, Ghawi, and Hanoun families were completely evicted from their homes, while Israeli settlers partially took over the al-Kurd family home, who still live side-by-side years later. More than 60 Palestinians were displaced during the wave of evictions in 2009.
On Sunday, six more Palestinian families were handed eviction notices, ordering them to leave their homes within 30 days owing to Israeli settler claims on their properties.
The European Union Representative and the EU Heads of Mission in Jerusalem and Ramallah released a joint statement on Friday condemning the eviction in Sheikh Jarrah.
“Further settlement plans foreseeing large scale construction and evictions in Sheikh Jarrah are being moved forward by the planning authorities. The EU has repeatedly called on the Israeli authorities to reconsider these decisions,” the statement read.
The statement reiterated the EU’s stance on the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and “its strong opposition to Israel’s settlement policy and actions taken in this context, including evictions and demolitions.”
“Settlement activity in East Jerusalem seriously jeopardizes the possibility of Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both States,” the statement added.
Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Scott Anderson said in the statement on Wednesday that he was “appalled at the resumption of forced evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and particularly worried about the humanitarian impact on this refugee family (Shamasna).”
“Palestine refugees, who have already endured multiple episodes of displacement, should not be subjected to forced evictions,” Anderson said.
According to UN documentation, 180 Palestinian families — comprising of 818 individuals, 372 of whom are children — are at risk of forcible displacement in East Jerusalem owing to settler-driven evictions. UNRWA noted that in Sheikh Jarrah, 60 percent of those at risk of displacement are Palestinian refugees.
Israeli rights group Ir Amim has noted that Israeli settler plans have focused on taking control of the entire neighborhood and then demolishing it to establish a massive Jewish settlement there.
The settlement would be called Shimon HaTzadik, named after the tomb of the biblical figure Simeon the Just, which is believed by Jews to be located in the neighborhood, and which the 19th century Jewish community had also allegedly once been called.
3 sept 2017
Israeli Police detained six people for questioning on Sunday morning, including a number of former senior public officials, suspected of corruption in the fraudulent purchase of naval vessels from Germany, known as “Case 3000.”
The suspects were brought in as part of an ongoing investigation into the so-called “Case 3000,” or the “submarine affair,” in which the ill-famed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal lawyer David Shimron is suspected of attempting to sway multi-billion-shekel deals in favor of the German shipbuilder ThyssenKryupp, which he represented in Israel.
The six were questioned over suspicions of fraud, bribery, tax evasion and money laundering, the Israel Police and the Tax Authority said in a joint statement.
A source close to the investigation who asked not to be named told The Times of Israel that some of the suspects were personal associates of the prime minister. Hebrew media speculated that Shimron was among those being questioned.
One of the detainees was named later as Avriel Bar-Yosef, a former deputy head of the National Security Council. Netanyahu sought to appoint Bar-Yosef to lead the NSC in 2016, but his candidacy was withdrawn when it emerged that he was suspected of accepting bribes in exchange for promoting the interests of German businessmen involved in the development of Israel’s offshore gas fields
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit ordered the Israel Police to formally look into the submarine affair in November 2016, after accusations surfaced that Netanyahu swayed to purchase vessels by business ties Shimron had with ThyssenKrupp. The deals for patrol boats and submarines came under intense scrutiny late last year after it was revealed by Channel 10 news that Shimron also served in an advisory capacity for ThyssenKrupp, which was awarded the contracts for building Israel’s submarines and naval attack boats.
At the same time, hundreds of Israelis continue to protest against government corruption.
On Saturday evening, hundreds of Israelis rallied in the central Israeli city Petah Tikva, near the home of Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit to demand him to indict Netanyahu on corruption charges.
The weekly vigils have become the vanguard of a grassroots protest movement against Netanyahu's financial misdeeds.
The suspects were brought in as part of an ongoing investigation into the so-called “Case 3000,” or the “submarine affair,” in which the ill-famed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal lawyer David Shimron is suspected of attempting to sway multi-billion-shekel deals in favor of the German shipbuilder ThyssenKryupp, which he represented in Israel.
The six were questioned over suspicions of fraud, bribery, tax evasion and money laundering, the Israel Police and the Tax Authority said in a joint statement.
A source close to the investigation who asked not to be named told The Times of Israel that some of the suspects were personal associates of the prime minister. Hebrew media speculated that Shimron was among those being questioned.
One of the detainees was named later as Avriel Bar-Yosef, a former deputy head of the National Security Council. Netanyahu sought to appoint Bar-Yosef to lead the NSC in 2016, but his candidacy was withdrawn when it emerged that he was suspected of accepting bribes in exchange for promoting the interests of German businessmen involved in the development of Israel’s offshore gas fields
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit ordered the Israel Police to formally look into the submarine affair in November 2016, after accusations surfaced that Netanyahu swayed to purchase vessels by business ties Shimron had with ThyssenKrupp. The deals for patrol boats and submarines came under intense scrutiny late last year after it was revealed by Channel 10 news that Shimron also served in an advisory capacity for ThyssenKrupp, which was awarded the contracts for building Israel’s submarines and naval attack boats.
At the same time, hundreds of Israelis continue to protest against government corruption.
On Saturday evening, hundreds of Israelis rallied in the central Israeli city Petah Tikva, near the home of Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit to demand him to indict Netanyahu on corruption charges.
The weekly vigils have become the vanguard of a grassroots protest movement against Netanyahu's financial misdeeds.
29 aug 2017
The Israeli Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid charged Israeli Prime Minister with incitement against left-wing parties and the media.
At the Israel Bar Association Conference held in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Lapid said that Israel is changing into a corrupt state. He added that all of the prime minister’s close allies, including multiple former chiefs of staff, are under investigation.
Lapid also said that “Any individual convicted of a crime with moral turpitude, which most financial crimes have, should no longer be a minister”, referring to Interior Minister Aryeh Deri.
“Deri has served more than two years in prison for a bribery conviction, but was reappointed a minister in the current government and remains in place despite the fact that he is once again under investigation”, Lapid highlighted.
At the Israel Bar Association Conference held in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Lapid said that Israel is changing into a corrupt state. He added that all of the prime minister’s close allies, including multiple former chiefs of staff, are under investigation.
Lapid also said that “Any individual convicted of a crime with moral turpitude, which most financial crimes have, should no longer be a minister”, referring to Interior Minister Aryeh Deri.
“Deri has served more than two years in prison for a bribery conviction, but was reappointed a minister in the current government and remains in place despite the fact that he is once again under investigation”, Lapid highlighted.
23 aug 2017
Man from central Israel arrested on suspicion of hate crimes against atheists, including spraying synagogue with graffiti and affixing knife to mailbox of prominent atheist thinker Yaakov Malkin.
Police arrested a 39-year-old man Tuesday morning on the suspicion of arson, threats and defacing property—all hate crimes against atheists and non-Orthodox Jews.
The suspect was linked to several incidents between 2014-2016 in which prominent atheist figures and activists were threatened with harm.
Police arrested a 39-year-old man Tuesday morning on the suspicion of arson, threats and defacing property—all hate crimes against atheists and non-Orthodox Jews.
The suspect was linked to several incidents between 2014-2016 in which prominent atheist figures and activists were threatened with harm.
Among the incidents the suspect was linked to were spraying graffiti on the walls of a reform Ra'anana synagogue and the homes of central atheist figures, including Professor Yaakov Malkin—head of the International Institute for Humanistic Secular Judaism—whose mailbox was affixed with a knife.
A covert investigation was conducted against the suspect, police said, after several incidents with similar characteristics took place in the central region and Jerusalem.
The suspect's arrest prevented him from carrying out further offenses, the police added, including physically harming prominent atheist figures.
Police investigators raided the suspect's home Tuesday morning, searched it and arrested him. His mother's home was also searched. The suspect will be brought before a judge Wednesday afternoon.
A covert investigation was conducted against the suspect, police said, after several incidents with similar characteristics took place in the central region and Jerusalem.
The suspect's arrest prevented him from carrying out further offenses, the police added, including physically harming prominent atheist figures.
Police investigators raided the suspect's home Tuesday morning, searched it and arrested him. His mother's home was also searched. The suspect will be brought before a judge Wednesday afternoon.
21 aug 2017
Shaul Shamai
After substitute teacher is indicted for multiple counts of sexually assaulting school students, Education Ministry launches new wave of background checks against all temporary teachers, issues new instructions on employment requirements in effort to weed out potential pedophiles.
The Ministry of Education has begun conducting rigorous checks into the criminal records of all school teachers and staff members ahead of the resumption of the school term, following heightened fears across the country that Israeli schoolchildren may be exposed to sexual offenders whose history has never been the subject of adequate scrutiny.
The timing of the checks has caused much dismay among parents since the impetus for their implementation only came after a pedophile teacher named Shaul Shamai, a 48-year-old from Rishon Lezion, was charged in June with multiple counts of indecent acts against a minor.
Working as a substitute teacher in an elementary school in northern Tel Aviv from October 2016 until June 2017, Shamai was indicted for sexually harassing four second grade students and a 13-year-old girl he was privately tutoring. He was also charged at the Magistrate's Court in the city with working at an institution despite being convicted of a sexual offense.
Shamai was arrested after one of the students told her mother he had hurt her, and the mother complained to the principal.
Since the Education Ministry began examining the backgrounds of school workers, nine sexual offenders were found to be employed over the last year as substitute teachers in elementary schools throughout Israel while 31 teachers were barred from work due to suspicions found in their criminal records.
As a result, every one of the nine teachers who were convicted of sexual offences were issued with a letter informing them that their employment had been terminated and that they were no longer permitted to fill any position in the Education Ministry.
Furthermore, the schools where they were employed were provided information about the offenders so as to prevent any possible slips through the net as happened with Shamai.
In addition to the reinvigorated vetting by the ministry, Chairperson of the Israel National Council for the Child (INCC), Vered Windman, who heads the non-profit’s legal branch, approached the ministry’s Director General Shmuel Abuav, asking him to prevent any further oversights by extending the background checks to include every single currently employed teacher.
“We have no doubt that the vast majority of educational workers are fit for the job,” Windman began in her letter. “At the same time, we are extremely concerned by the possibility that while this letter is being written, there are students who are not shielded from sexual attacks.”
She also heaped scathing criticism on the Education Ministry, highlighting the severity of the findings which had emanated from the recent checks, and adding that the fact that nine offenders had only been discovered now, while children were fully exposed to their sexual proclivities, constituted a grave indictment on its part.
Furthermore, Windman pointed out that some 70 criminal investigations are launched annually against staff members, among them teachers and administrators on suspicion of sexual offences against the students on school premises.
Responding to the INCC, the ministry assured Windman it was using all means at its disposal to ensure the safety, protection and wellbeing of Israeli students.
In an effort to absolve itself of prime responsibility, the ministry stressed on Saturday that the substitute teachers who were exposed for prior offences during the recent wave of checks were employed by the schools only after they had presented official documentation confirming they had no previous involvement in sexual offences.
In light of the new revelations however, schools were issued with new instructions by the Ministry of Education stipulating that no substitute teachers may be employed without official approval of the ministry itself.
Moreover, the instructions emphasized that in the absence of the required approval for substitute members of staff, he or she is also forbidden from stepping foot inside the school’s premises.
After substitute teacher is indicted for multiple counts of sexually assaulting school students, Education Ministry launches new wave of background checks against all temporary teachers, issues new instructions on employment requirements in effort to weed out potential pedophiles.
The Ministry of Education has begun conducting rigorous checks into the criminal records of all school teachers and staff members ahead of the resumption of the school term, following heightened fears across the country that Israeli schoolchildren may be exposed to sexual offenders whose history has never been the subject of adequate scrutiny.
The timing of the checks has caused much dismay among parents since the impetus for their implementation only came after a pedophile teacher named Shaul Shamai, a 48-year-old from Rishon Lezion, was charged in June with multiple counts of indecent acts against a minor.
Working as a substitute teacher in an elementary school in northern Tel Aviv from October 2016 until June 2017, Shamai was indicted for sexually harassing four second grade students and a 13-year-old girl he was privately tutoring. He was also charged at the Magistrate's Court in the city with working at an institution despite being convicted of a sexual offense.
Shamai was arrested after one of the students told her mother he had hurt her, and the mother complained to the principal.
Since the Education Ministry began examining the backgrounds of school workers, nine sexual offenders were found to be employed over the last year as substitute teachers in elementary schools throughout Israel while 31 teachers were barred from work due to suspicions found in their criminal records.
As a result, every one of the nine teachers who were convicted of sexual offences were issued with a letter informing them that their employment had been terminated and that they were no longer permitted to fill any position in the Education Ministry.
Furthermore, the schools where they were employed were provided information about the offenders so as to prevent any possible slips through the net as happened with Shamai.
In addition to the reinvigorated vetting by the ministry, Chairperson of the Israel National Council for the Child (INCC), Vered Windman, who heads the non-profit’s legal branch, approached the ministry’s Director General Shmuel Abuav, asking him to prevent any further oversights by extending the background checks to include every single currently employed teacher.
“We have no doubt that the vast majority of educational workers are fit for the job,” Windman began in her letter. “At the same time, we are extremely concerned by the possibility that while this letter is being written, there are students who are not shielded from sexual attacks.”
She also heaped scathing criticism on the Education Ministry, highlighting the severity of the findings which had emanated from the recent checks, and adding that the fact that nine offenders had only been discovered now, while children were fully exposed to their sexual proclivities, constituted a grave indictment on its part.
Furthermore, Windman pointed out that some 70 criminal investigations are launched annually against staff members, among them teachers and administrators on suspicion of sexual offences against the students on school premises.
Responding to the INCC, the ministry assured Windman it was using all means at its disposal to ensure the safety, protection and wellbeing of Israeli students.
In an effort to absolve itself of prime responsibility, the ministry stressed on Saturday that the substitute teachers who were exposed for prior offences during the recent wave of checks were employed by the schools only after they had presented official documentation confirming they had no previous involvement in sexual offences.
In light of the new revelations however, schools were issued with new instructions by the Ministry of Education stipulating that no substitute teachers may be employed without official approval of the ministry itself.
Moreover, the instructions emphasized that in the absence of the required approval for substitute members of staff, he or she is also forbidden from stepping foot inside the school’s premises.
