19 aug 2018
The police arrest 83 people, including Population and Immigration Authority employees, who were allegedly involved in bribery offenses; According to the suspicions, an illegal trade of appointments was conducted at the ministry's Wadi al-Joz branch, where services such as issuance of identification cards and travel permits, were provided in exchange for large sums of money.
Eighty three people, including four employees of the Population and Immigration Authority and residents of eastern Jerusalem, were recently arrested on suspicion of being involved in a large-scale bribery affair at the center of which was an illicit trade of appointments at the busy Population Authority branch in Wadi al-Joz in eastern Jerusalem, worth hundreds of thousands of shekels.
Six of the detainees are suspected of brokering the trade and the remaining 73 are suspected of paying hundreds of shekels each time they’d been advanced in queues. They are charged with multiple bribery offenses including breach of trust and money laundering. The arrest of the four employees was extended until Wednesday, and the rest have been released under restrictive conditions.
The arrests were carried out at the end of an undercover investigation that lasted four months and involved an undercover agent.
The investigation revealed a method the brokers used to allegedly link the suspected Population Authority employees with dozens of eastern Jerusalem residents who required the ministry’s services, such as the issuance of identity cards or travel permits, and could make appointments with no waiting period in exchange for a monetary bribe.
During the wave of arrests, the police raided the homes of 23 key suspects, including the four employees and six real estate agents, and confiscated, among other things, luxury cars and tens of thousands of shekels in cash.
Approximately 350,000 residents of eastern Jerusalem are assigned to the Wadi al-Joz branch, which results in appointments being made months in advance.
According to the police, in order to exhaust the residents’ patience and force them to resort to bribes, the brokers used a smartphone application My Visit—which was developed in order to facilitate services at the branch, through which they would purchase appointments and subsequently sell them.
One of the brokers, allegedly had personally scheduled no less than 2,700 appointments months ahead.
The police issued an official response explaining the mechanism behind the scheme.
"According to the suspicions, the suspects exploited the shortage of available appointments and long waiting periods at the branch in order to collect bribes.
In some instances, services to the applicants had been provided without them physically visiting the branch or providing the required documents," the statement concluded.
The Population and Immigration Authority also issued a response, refusing to elaborate further on the alleged offenses.
"The matter is under police investigation—initiated by us, and therefore we will not be able to respond," read the statement.
Eighty three people, including four employees of the Population and Immigration Authority and residents of eastern Jerusalem, were recently arrested on suspicion of being involved in a large-scale bribery affair at the center of which was an illicit trade of appointments at the busy Population Authority branch in Wadi al-Joz in eastern Jerusalem, worth hundreds of thousands of shekels.
Six of the detainees are suspected of brokering the trade and the remaining 73 are suspected of paying hundreds of shekels each time they’d been advanced in queues. They are charged with multiple bribery offenses including breach of trust and money laundering. The arrest of the four employees was extended until Wednesday, and the rest have been released under restrictive conditions.
The arrests were carried out at the end of an undercover investigation that lasted four months and involved an undercover agent.
The investigation revealed a method the brokers used to allegedly link the suspected Population Authority employees with dozens of eastern Jerusalem residents who required the ministry’s services, such as the issuance of identity cards or travel permits, and could make appointments with no waiting period in exchange for a monetary bribe.
During the wave of arrests, the police raided the homes of 23 key suspects, including the four employees and six real estate agents, and confiscated, among other things, luxury cars and tens of thousands of shekels in cash.
Approximately 350,000 residents of eastern Jerusalem are assigned to the Wadi al-Joz branch, which results in appointments being made months in advance.
According to the police, in order to exhaust the residents’ patience and force them to resort to bribes, the brokers used a smartphone application My Visit—which was developed in order to facilitate services at the branch, through which they would purchase appointments and subsequently sell them.
One of the brokers, allegedly had personally scheduled no less than 2,700 appointments months ahead.
The police issued an official response explaining the mechanism behind the scheme.
"According to the suspicions, the suspects exploited the shortage of available appointments and long waiting periods at the branch in order to collect bribes.
In some instances, services to the applicants had been provided without them physically visiting the branch or providing the required documents," the statement concluded.
The Population and Immigration Authority also issued a response, refusing to elaborate further on the alleged offenses.
"The matter is under police investigation—initiated by us, and therefore we will not be able to respond," read the statement.
Cpl. R to serve 2 months behind bars as part of plea bargain reached in case that revealed he ordered cadets enrolled in an IAF course to stand against the wall while he smashed a mop stick on their backs.
An IDF commander who abused his subordinates will only serve two months in prison under a plea deal accepted last week.
The case was first reported by Ynet a year ago following the hospitalization of a trainee enrolled in a vocational course on a technical air force base in Haifa. The soldier claimed his commander, identified as Cpl. R, humiliated and physically abused him and other soldiers on the course, mere months after their enlistment.
As part of the plea bargain, which was approved by a panel of three IDF judges, the convicted soldier was also ordered to carry out extra maintenance work on the base and to pay NIS 1,500 in compensation to the soldier.
The case of another commander who was said to be involved in the affair has yet to reach its conclusion.
Cpl. R, who served as the direct commander and instructor of the complainant, denied all charges leveled against him throughout the entire judicial proceeding and only retracted his denials at the last moment, after which he received a lighter sentence.
“The defendant employed violence against a few cadets under his wing, ordering them to place their hands on the wall (with their backs to him) and then smashed a mop stick on their backs,” the judges wrote in their ruling. “On one of the soldiers, he did that with a wooden board.”
In their ruling, the judges described how Cpl. R confiscated a cell phone of one of the complainants and told him he could come and get it back from the commanders’ office.
When the soldier arrived at the office, Cpl. R once again ordered the soldier to face away from him with his hands on the wall so he could break a stick on his back.
When the cadet refused, the commander began hitting him and told him that he would only stop when his subordinate stood against the wall.
After being subjected to a series of blows, the solder managed to leave the room and asked for help from his friend. Cpl. R ordered him to return to the office—forbidding the other soldiers to accompany them—where he repeatedly hit him.
After feeling unwell in the wake of the beating he had just endured, the soldier, who was covered in bruises, went to hospital and given several days’ rest.
While his victim was in hospital and taking his days off, the commander got his version of events in order with another course commander, and the two told their superiors that the bruises could be attributed to the soldier falling down stairs on the base.
The fabricated version was also given during an investigation that was carried out by more senior commanders on the base.
The course commander subsequently provided documents to another commander so that the injured soldier would receive more sick days to ensure his absence from the disciplinary hearing and so he would not be able to clarify what had taken place.
But testimony collected in the investigation made it clear the soldier had been the victim of extreme violence and that the commander himself had been subjected to similar treatment when he was a cadet on the course.
“There can be no dispute that the actions undertaken by the defendant are extremely grave and dispicable,” the judges wrote in their decision.
“On the other hand, the plea bargain takes into account the defendant’s confession, which entails an acceptance of responsibility for his actions; the positive assessment of his commanders; the fact this is a common phenomenon in the unit—with the incident in question being an expression of the same phenomenon; and the fact that the complainant has given his consent to the agreement.”
"The actions carried out by the defendant, beyond the bodily harm caused to the cadets, severely hurt their dignity as people and as those serving in a hierarchical system,” the judges explained.
“The defendant abused his authority to a forbidden end, which has no place in the base. A commander on a course is expected to care for his subordinates and ensure that their needs are met,” they judges continued.
In addition, the judges subtly criticized the IDF's Criminal Investigation Division (CID), claiming the case revealed evidentiary difficulties despite the defendant's admission of the acts.
“I am sorry for my actions. It was a mistake done early in my army service. This is what I was taught. It should not happen, neither in the army nor in civil life,” Cpl. R told the judges.
“My motivation to return to service is high. I ask that I be permitted to return to my original job upon completion of my punishment, and I aspire to be accepted into officers’ course,” he added.
An IDF commander who abused his subordinates will only serve two months in prison under a plea deal accepted last week.
The case was first reported by Ynet a year ago following the hospitalization of a trainee enrolled in a vocational course on a technical air force base in Haifa. The soldier claimed his commander, identified as Cpl. R, humiliated and physically abused him and other soldiers on the course, mere months after their enlistment.
As part of the plea bargain, which was approved by a panel of three IDF judges, the convicted soldier was also ordered to carry out extra maintenance work on the base and to pay NIS 1,500 in compensation to the soldier.
The case of another commander who was said to be involved in the affair has yet to reach its conclusion.
Cpl. R, who served as the direct commander and instructor of the complainant, denied all charges leveled against him throughout the entire judicial proceeding and only retracted his denials at the last moment, after which he received a lighter sentence.
“The defendant employed violence against a few cadets under his wing, ordering them to place their hands on the wall (with their backs to him) and then smashed a mop stick on their backs,” the judges wrote in their ruling. “On one of the soldiers, he did that with a wooden board.”
In their ruling, the judges described how Cpl. R confiscated a cell phone of one of the complainants and told him he could come and get it back from the commanders’ office.
When the soldier arrived at the office, Cpl. R once again ordered the soldier to face away from him with his hands on the wall so he could break a stick on his back.
When the cadet refused, the commander began hitting him and told him that he would only stop when his subordinate stood against the wall.
After being subjected to a series of blows, the solder managed to leave the room and asked for help from his friend. Cpl. R ordered him to return to the office—forbidding the other soldiers to accompany them—where he repeatedly hit him.
After feeling unwell in the wake of the beating he had just endured, the soldier, who was covered in bruises, went to hospital and given several days’ rest.
While his victim was in hospital and taking his days off, the commander got his version of events in order with another course commander, and the two told their superiors that the bruises could be attributed to the soldier falling down stairs on the base.
The fabricated version was also given during an investigation that was carried out by more senior commanders on the base.
The course commander subsequently provided documents to another commander so that the injured soldier would receive more sick days to ensure his absence from the disciplinary hearing and so he would not be able to clarify what had taken place.
But testimony collected in the investigation made it clear the soldier had been the victim of extreme violence and that the commander himself had been subjected to similar treatment when he was a cadet on the course.
“There can be no dispute that the actions undertaken by the defendant are extremely grave and dispicable,” the judges wrote in their decision.
“On the other hand, the plea bargain takes into account the defendant’s confession, which entails an acceptance of responsibility for his actions; the positive assessment of his commanders; the fact this is a common phenomenon in the unit—with the incident in question being an expression of the same phenomenon; and the fact that the complainant has given his consent to the agreement.”
"The actions carried out by the defendant, beyond the bodily harm caused to the cadets, severely hurt their dignity as people and as those serving in a hierarchical system,” the judges explained.
“The defendant abused his authority to a forbidden end, which has no place in the base. A commander on a course is expected to care for his subordinates and ensure that their needs are met,” they judges continued.
In addition, the judges subtly criticized the IDF's Criminal Investigation Division (CID), claiming the case revealed evidentiary difficulties despite the defendant's admission of the acts.
“I am sorry for my actions. It was a mistake done early in my army service. This is what I was taught. It should not happen, neither in the army nor in civil life,” Cpl. R told the judges.
“My motivation to return to service is high. I ask that I be permitted to return to my original job upon completion of my punishment, and I aspire to be accepted into officers’ course,” he added.
16 aug 2018
Alan Levit, who immigrated to Israel in 1991, is suspected of robbing and murdering a man in Minsk in 1993; German authorities arrest him in Frankfurt due to Interpol arrest warrant; lawyer tries to bring him back to Israel to face trial, where he won't face capital punishment.
An Israeli man was arrested in Germany a week ago at the request of Belarus authorities on suspicion of involvement in a murder that took place 25 years ago.
The suspect, Alan Levit, 46, from Bat Yam, landed in Frankfurt with his son, where he was told there was an international arrest warrant against him issued by Interpol.
Levit immigrated to Israel from Belarus in 1991. Despite that, a decade ago, investigators from Belarus arrived at his home in Israel to question him about a murder that took place in 1993 in Minsk.
His lawyer, Gregory Kurziner, said the Belarusian investigators suspect Levit traveled to Belarus with a partner with whom he robbed and murdered a victim at his home.
Levit denied the suspicions against him, and has not heard anything more about the investigation since.
The Interpol arrest warrant notes that on March 16, 1993, a man was murdered in his apartment in Minsk after having been robbed by two people. He was found dead with 16 stab wounds on his neck and face.
Kurziner told Ynet he was worried that if Levit is extradited from Germany to Belarus, he could face the death sentence, which is the maximum punishment for such on offense in Belarus. There is no statute of limitations on the murder.
"The court in Germany can decide whether to extradite him. Israel doesn't turn in someone to a country that has the death penalty," the lawyer said.
Kurziner turned to Israel's Foreign Ministry and the Israeli consulate in Munich for help in bringing Levit to Israel to face trial.
An Israeli man was arrested in Germany a week ago at the request of Belarus authorities on suspicion of involvement in a murder that took place 25 years ago.
The suspect, Alan Levit, 46, from Bat Yam, landed in Frankfurt with his son, where he was told there was an international arrest warrant against him issued by Interpol.
Levit immigrated to Israel from Belarus in 1991. Despite that, a decade ago, investigators from Belarus arrived at his home in Israel to question him about a murder that took place in 1993 in Minsk.
His lawyer, Gregory Kurziner, said the Belarusian investigators suspect Levit traveled to Belarus with a partner with whom he robbed and murdered a victim at his home.
Levit denied the suspicions against him, and has not heard anything more about the investigation since.
The Interpol arrest warrant notes that on March 16, 1993, a man was murdered in his apartment in Minsk after having been robbed by two people. He was found dead with 16 stab wounds on his neck and face.
Kurziner told Ynet he was worried that if Levit is extradited from Germany to Belarus, he could face the death sentence, which is the maximum punishment for such on offense in Belarus. There is no statute of limitations on the murder.
"The court in Germany can decide whether to extradite him. Israel doesn't turn in someone to a country that has the death penalty," the lawyer said.
Kurziner turned to Israel's Foreign Ministry and the Israeli consulate in Munich for help in bringing Levit to Israel to face trial.
President Abbas and Yigal Amir
Speaking at PLO central council meeting, PA president charges that Yigal Amir, who gunned down the former Israeli prime minister in 1995, also receives a salary from four individuals.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas claimed on Wednesday evening that former Israel prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin, Yigal Amir, is permitted to leave prison four times per week and that he receives financial support from four individuals.
“He leaves four times per week and receives a salary from four different individuals,” Abbas said in a speech delivered at the opening of a Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) central council meeting.
“What is happening in Israel is intolerable. The world has forgotten the apartheid in South Africa and in the United States. We must unite against the Nation-State Law. We were the first to stand against the ‘deal of the century’ and we will continue to resist it until it collapses,” Abbas said in reference to US President Donald Trump’s bid to bring about peace between Israel and the Palestinians, which he has often described as “the ultimate deal.”
Abbas went on to praise the efforts of Egypt to implement a short-lived reconciliation accord between Abbas’s Fatah faction and Hamas which was signed at the end of last year.
“Egypt is making efforts to bring about reconciliation and we will not agree to anything other than a full reconciliation under one government, one law, one weapon and without militias,” Abbas told his listeners.
“There is no state in the Gaza Strip and there won’t be any state without the Gaza Strip. However, Hamas is unprepared to reach a reconciliation and there are those who encourage it not to,” the 82-year-old leader continued.
While Abbas attributed blame on Hamas for the breakdown of the accord, Cairo is in the midst of ongoing discussions with the Gaza-ruling terror group’s leaders and heads of other Palestinian factions in the strip.
The main subjects of discussion included a calming of tensions with Israel, Palestinian reconciliation and the humanitarian crisis gripping the Gaza Strip.
The discussions are to continue throughout Thursday with the declared goal of reaching an agreed-upon position regarding escalating tensions with Israel.
Meanwhile, an Israeli official insisted that “there won’t be any real agreement with Hamas without the return of our sons and citizens to their homes and the guarantee of prolonged quiet.”
Egypt has played a critical role in recent months in a bid to broker a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as tensions threaten to thrust the two warring sides into yet another military conflict.
Speaking at PLO central council meeting, PA president charges that Yigal Amir, who gunned down the former Israeli prime minister in 1995, also receives a salary from four individuals.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas claimed on Wednesday evening that former Israel prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin, Yigal Amir, is permitted to leave prison four times per week and that he receives financial support from four individuals.
“He leaves four times per week and receives a salary from four different individuals,” Abbas said in a speech delivered at the opening of a Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) central council meeting.
“What is happening in Israel is intolerable. The world has forgotten the apartheid in South Africa and in the United States. We must unite against the Nation-State Law. We were the first to stand against the ‘deal of the century’ and we will continue to resist it until it collapses,” Abbas said in reference to US President Donald Trump’s bid to bring about peace between Israel and the Palestinians, which he has often described as “the ultimate deal.”
Abbas went on to praise the efforts of Egypt to implement a short-lived reconciliation accord between Abbas’s Fatah faction and Hamas which was signed at the end of last year.
“Egypt is making efforts to bring about reconciliation and we will not agree to anything other than a full reconciliation under one government, one law, one weapon and without militias,” Abbas told his listeners.
“There is no state in the Gaza Strip and there won’t be any state without the Gaza Strip. However, Hamas is unprepared to reach a reconciliation and there are those who encourage it not to,” the 82-year-old leader continued.
While Abbas attributed blame on Hamas for the breakdown of the accord, Cairo is in the midst of ongoing discussions with the Gaza-ruling terror group’s leaders and heads of other Palestinian factions in the strip.
The main subjects of discussion included a calming of tensions with Israel, Palestinian reconciliation and the humanitarian crisis gripping the Gaza Strip.
The discussions are to continue throughout Thursday with the declared goal of reaching an agreed-upon position regarding escalating tensions with Israel.
Meanwhile, an Israeli official insisted that “there won’t be any real agreement with Hamas without the return of our sons and citizens to their homes and the guarantee of prolonged quiet.”
Egypt has played a critical role in recent months in a bid to broker a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as tensions threaten to thrust the two warring sides into yet another military conflict.
15 aug 2018
Beno Reinhorn, a 35-year-old father of two from Herzliya is suspected of sexually abusing over 140 girls; The suspect reportedly lured his victims through social networks; The police estimates the actual number of victims is much higher and urges those who have not come forward yet to urgently do so.
Beno Reinhorn, a 35-year-old married father of two from Herzliya, is suspected of 140 sex offenses against minors, which include rape, sodomy, indecent exposure and online assault.
The police described it is as one of the most disturbing child molestation cases uncovered in recent times.
The suspect, a handball coach, was arrested and detained for ten days. Reinhorn's wife released a statement in which she reiterates her belief that he is innocent.
A gag order has been issued banning the media from reporting the details of the case for several months, but the Tel Aviv District Court approved the police’s request to inform the public on the on-going case.
The investigation was conducted in cooperation with Unit 105 at Lahav 433—which operates to protect minors in cyberspace. During his interrogation the suspect refused to cooperate.
Over the past year, Reinhorn served as a coach of the Israeli women's junior national handball team and as a coach of the Herzliya women's handball team. Among his trainees were teenage girls between the ages of 13 and 17. In addition, a few years ago he was a director of a modeling forum on the Tapuz website.
The police warn that many of Reinhorn’s victims have not yet come forward and they urge them to urgently do so.
"In light of the serial pattern of the suspect's activity, if there is any suspicion among parents, educators, family members, etc., that a minor may have been one of the victims, we urge them to contact the police,” read the official statement.
The suspect has allegedly been committing the offenses in a sophisticated and obsessive manner for years, dedicating most of his day to the illicit activity. He allegedly opened many fake profiles on social media platforms popular with minors, such as Instagram, introducing himself as a modeling agent, as a swimwear designer or representative of a production company. Then, according to the police, he suggested to the underage girls to pose for him.
He then would proceed to ask the girls, who responded positively to his initial advances, to send him revealing or nude images in sexually explicit Whatsapp conversations.
The Israeli Handball Association released an official statement condemning the actions of the former coach.
"Handball Association is dismayed by the allegation. This is a coach who has worked in the past with our youth team, and as far as we know, we have never received a complaint regarding his conduct,” read the statement.
Reinhorn's lawyers reiterated the suspect’s claim that he is innocent.
"These are preliminary stages of the investigation, therefore we do not intend to address the matters currently under investigation. We suggest that the legal system be allowed to complete its work,” they added.
Beno Reinhorn, a 35-year-old married father of two from Herzliya, is suspected of 140 sex offenses against minors, which include rape, sodomy, indecent exposure and online assault.
The police described it is as one of the most disturbing child molestation cases uncovered in recent times.
The suspect, a handball coach, was arrested and detained for ten days. Reinhorn's wife released a statement in which she reiterates her belief that he is innocent.
A gag order has been issued banning the media from reporting the details of the case for several months, but the Tel Aviv District Court approved the police’s request to inform the public on the on-going case.
The investigation was conducted in cooperation with Unit 105 at Lahav 433—which operates to protect minors in cyberspace. During his interrogation the suspect refused to cooperate.
Over the past year, Reinhorn served as a coach of the Israeli women's junior national handball team and as a coach of the Herzliya women's handball team. Among his trainees were teenage girls between the ages of 13 and 17. In addition, a few years ago he was a director of a modeling forum on the Tapuz website.
The police warn that many of Reinhorn’s victims have not yet come forward and they urge them to urgently do so.
"In light of the serial pattern of the suspect's activity, if there is any suspicion among parents, educators, family members, etc., that a minor may have been one of the victims, we urge them to contact the police,” read the official statement.
The suspect has allegedly been committing the offenses in a sophisticated and obsessive manner for years, dedicating most of his day to the illicit activity. He allegedly opened many fake profiles on social media platforms popular with minors, such as Instagram, introducing himself as a modeling agent, as a swimwear designer or representative of a production company. Then, according to the police, he suggested to the underage girls to pose for him.
He then would proceed to ask the girls, who responded positively to his initial advances, to send him revealing or nude images in sexually explicit Whatsapp conversations.
The Israeli Handball Association released an official statement condemning the actions of the former coach.
"Handball Association is dismayed by the allegation. This is a coach who has worked in the past with our youth team, and as far as we know, we have never received a complaint regarding his conduct,” read the statement.
Reinhorn's lawyers reiterated the suspect’s claim that he is innocent.
"These are preliminary stages of the investigation, therefore we do not intend to address the matters currently under investigation. We suggest that the legal system be allowed to complete its work,” they added.
12 aug 2018
Arison leaving the police offices
Arison, Israel's wealthiest woman, questioned for 8 hours in Housing & Construction Holding Company corruption case; police bars her from leaving Israel or contacting other suspects involved in the case.
Israel's wealthiest woman Shari Arison was questioned by police on Sunday for eight hour as part of an investigation into suspected corruption in the Housing & Construction Holding Company (Shikun & Binui).
Arison, who was questioned alongside the Chairman and CEO of Arison Investments Efrat Peled, was accompanied by her attorney, Nati Simchony.
During the questioning, Arison and the other senior businesswoman were confronted with evidence that ties them to the alleged corruption.
After being released from questioning, the two were barred from leaving Israel for a week and from contacting any of the other suspects in the case.
Arison and Peled "fully cooperated" with investigators and "are confident there was no fault in their conduct and that this would be law enforcement authorities' conclusion as well," the Arison Investments group said in a statement.
A joint statement by the Israel Police and the Israel Securities Authority said that "as part of the Israel Police's regular fight against public corruption offenses, an investigation is ongoing into suspected bribery of a foreign public employee and reporting offenses under the Securities Law."
The international case focuses on suspicions of bribery by the Housing & Construction Holding Company (Shikun & Binui), which has projects both in Israel and abroad.
Police suspect the bribery of foreign government officials, along with other offenses. The alleged bribe money was paid to secure construction contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars in Kenya, among other countries.
The Israel Police and Israel Securities Authority are conducting the investigation in cooperation with international law enforcement authorities.
Last month, the police and the Securities Authority questioned under caution Housing & Construction Holding Company chairman Moshe Lahmani on suspicion of giving bribes to promote construction projects.
Former chairman Ofer Kotler was also questioned in the case. He was put on house arrest and posted a NIS 500,000 bail. He too was barred from leaving Israel or contacting other suspects.
Arison, Israel's wealthiest woman, questioned for 8 hours in Housing & Construction Holding Company corruption case; police bars her from leaving Israel or contacting other suspects involved in the case.
Israel's wealthiest woman Shari Arison was questioned by police on Sunday for eight hour as part of an investigation into suspected corruption in the Housing & Construction Holding Company (Shikun & Binui).
Arison, who was questioned alongside the Chairman and CEO of Arison Investments Efrat Peled, was accompanied by her attorney, Nati Simchony.
During the questioning, Arison and the other senior businesswoman were confronted with evidence that ties them to the alleged corruption.
After being released from questioning, the two were barred from leaving Israel for a week and from contacting any of the other suspects in the case.
Arison and Peled "fully cooperated" with investigators and "are confident there was no fault in their conduct and that this would be law enforcement authorities' conclusion as well," the Arison Investments group said in a statement.
A joint statement by the Israel Police and the Israel Securities Authority said that "as part of the Israel Police's regular fight against public corruption offenses, an investigation is ongoing into suspected bribery of a foreign public employee and reporting offenses under the Securities Law."
The international case focuses on suspicions of bribery by the Housing & Construction Holding Company (Shikun & Binui), which has projects both in Israel and abroad.
Police suspect the bribery of foreign government officials, along with other offenses. The alleged bribe money was paid to secure construction contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars in Kenya, among other countries.
The Israel Police and Israel Securities Authority are conducting the investigation in cooperation with international law enforcement authorities.
Last month, the police and the Securities Authority questioned under caution Housing & Construction Holding Company chairman Moshe Lahmani on suspicion of giving bribes to promote construction projects.
Former chairman Ofer Kotler was also questioned in the case. He was put on house arrest and posted a NIS 500,000 bail. He too was barred from leaving Israel or contacting other suspects.
Eitan Broshi; Shelly Yachimovich
Yachimovich reveals story of woman who served in Broshi's IDF battalion, saying he 'sexually harassed her on a regular basis and made her life miserable'; Broshi's recent harassment of MK Nahmias-Verbin, and his lawyer's attack on yet another complainant, led more women to come forward, the MK says.
Zionist Union MK Shelly Yachimovich posted Sunday about another woman who accused MK Eitan Broshi of alleged sexual harassment and indecent acts.
In a Facebook post, Yachimovich detailed the case, on which the statute of limitations has already passed.
"Another case of sexual harassment and indecent acts done by MK Eitan Broshi from my party, and some words about the moving and historic struggle for women's right not to be a victim of violence and humiliation," Yachimovich opened her post.
Broshi, she said, was the battalion commander of a soldier she named only as M., saying he "sexually harassed her on a regular basis and made her life miserable."
"One day M. encountered him on the street, years after she had been released from the IDF. By then she was a woman with self-confidence, married, a mother, who works in an important and profession that contributes to society. And yet she froze as if paralyzed, almost fainted, and returned home shaking, upset, in shock and nauseous," Yachimovich wrote.
"To answer the insufferable question of 'why did she just remember this,' I'll say: M. didn't have to remember, simply because she never forgot. The feelings of disgust and fear have always been there," she continued. "As the saying goes: The rifle can't remember, the target can't forget."
She said M. was only one of the women who turned to her recently to tell her about alleged harassment by Broshi.
Broshi was recently in hot water after touching the behind of a fellow member of Knesset, Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin.
According to eye witnesses, Broshi initially did not realize the problematic nature of his actions and went about his day as if nothing had happened.
It was only after other MKs intervened that Broshi and Nahmias-Verbin spoke about the incident. Broshi apologized to Nahmias-Verbin and the two agreed to let the matter go.
This incident, which was first reported by Ynet, and an additional interview given by another complainant to journalist Akiva Novick on Channel Ten about an alleged sexual assault Broshi had committed against her inside an elevator 15 years ago, were what led other women to come forward, Yachimovich said.
She also came out against MK Broshi's lawyer's attack on the woman interview by Channel Ten. "His response was a good demonstration of why most women are still afraid to complain. It included all of the dark clichés of the old world by vilifying the victim and questioning her motives. But this response also made (the women) angry and want to tell their story," she wrote.
According to Yachimovich, "Lt. Col. Broshi turned Sgt. M. to a target for sexual harassment immediately upon her arrival at the base.
It only got worse. At first, he described his intentions to her with coarse and vulgar language. She firmly refused. And then she rejected him again and again and again. But he would not let it rest, and stared at her private parts every time she had to enter his office as part of her job. He created a threatening and stressful atmosphere. Her friends in the battalion knew, and there was always someone waiting close by in case she couldn't push him away on her own.
"Later, he started creating situations that forced her to be alone with him. And so, he demanded that she spent one of the holidays with him on base. With her being a 'common soldier,' as she described it, and him the battalion commander, she clearly had no choice.
"He also demanded that she accompany him on a tour of different positions under his command. He and she were in the car, while he showered her with indecent proposals and vulgar words. She was afraid of him, but demanded him to stop.
"In one of the times he staged and organized incidents to force himself on her, he was able to create a situation in which he was sleeping in a nearby room to hers. I won't go into details, but I'll say she had all of the reasons in the world to think she was completely safe, and that he would not dare come near her. She was wrong. In the early morning, she woke up with his tongue in her mouth as he was trying to force himself on her. She pushed him off, he was afraid someone would hear it, and let go."
Yachimovich said she corroborated the story before posting it by speaking not only to the complainant but also to those who served with her in the battalion, and they confirmed the details.
She said three other women turned to her, one just this morning, claiming they've been harassed by Broshi. Yachimovich added other turned to her with stories about other women who were harassed by Broshi, but she said she chose not to take action because it was important to her it would be the complainant's own choice to come forward.
When she first approached Yachimovich, M. wrote to her that "recent events have aroused anew the disgust I felt then. The difference is that today, the fear doesn't exist, but the memory of this fear is still alive and well. My close friends, who called immediately after the recent reports, are also furious at the man, and he arouses the same feeling of disgust in them, too... I'm glad at least my daughter's generation already knows we must not be scared to go public about such cases, and there's no reason not to shame those who dare act like this."
Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay suspended Broshi two weeks ago following the complaints made against him. In response, Broshi filed a libel suit against Gabbay, demanding NIS 300,000 in compensation.
Yachimovich reveals story of woman who served in Broshi's IDF battalion, saying he 'sexually harassed her on a regular basis and made her life miserable'; Broshi's recent harassment of MK Nahmias-Verbin, and his lawyer's attack on yet another complainant, led more women to come forward, the MK says.
Zionist Union MK Shelly Yachimovich posted Sunday about another woman who accused MK Eitan Broshi of alleged sexual harassment and indecent acts.
In a Facebook post, Yachimovich detailed the case, on which the statute of limitations has already passed.
"Another case of sexual harassment and indecent acts done by MK Eitan Broshi from my party, and some words about the moving and historic struggle for women's right not to be a victim of violence and humiliation," Yachimovich opened her post.
Broshi, she said, was the battalion commander of a soldier she named only as M., saying he "sexually harassed her on a regular basis and made her life miserable."
"One day M. encountered him on the street, years after she had been released from the IDF. By then she was a woman with self-confidence, married, a mother, who works in an important and profession that contributes to society. And yet she froze as if paralyzed, almost fainted, and returned home shaking, upset, in shock and nauseous," Yachimovich wrote.
"To answer the insufferable question of 'why did she just remember this,' I'll say: M. didn't have to remember, simply because she never forgot. The feelings of disgust and fear have always been there," she continued. "As the saying goes: The rifle can't remember, the target can't forget."
She said M. was only one of the women who turned to her recently to tell her about alleged harassment by Broshi.
Broshi was recently in hot water after touching the behind of a fellow member of Knesset, Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin.
According to eye witnesses, Broshi initially did not realize the problematic nature of his actions and went about his day as if nothing had happened.
It was only after other MKs intervened that Broshi and Nahmias-Verbin spoke about the incident. Broshi apologized to Nahmias-Verbin and the two agreed to let the matter go.
This incident, which was first reported by Ynet, and an additional interview given by another complainant to journalist Akiva Novick on Channel Ten about an alleged sexual assault Broshi had committed against her inside an elevator 15 years ago, were what led other women to come forward, Yachimovich said.
She also came out against MK Broshi's lawyer's attack on the woman interview by Channel Ten. "His response was a good demonstration of why most women are still afraid to complain. It included all of the dark clichés of the old world by vilifying the victim and questioning her motives. But this response also made (the women) angry and want to tell their story," she wrote.
According to Yachimovich, "Lt. Col. Broshi turned Sgt. M. to a target for sexual harassment immediately upon her arrival at the base.
It only got worse. At first, he described his intentions to her with coarse and vulgar language. She firmly refused. And then she rejected him again and again and again. But he would not let it rest, and stared at her private parts every time she had to enter his office as part of her job. He created a threatening and stressful atmosphere. Her friends in the battalion knew, and there was always someone waiting close by in case she couldn't push him away on her own.
"Later, he started creating situations that forced her to be alone with him. And so, he demanded that she spent one of the holidays with him on base. With her being a 'common soldier,' as she described it, and him the battalion commander, she clearly had no choice.
"He also demanded that she accompany him on a tour of different positions under his command. He and she were in the car, while he showered her with indecent proposals and vulgar words. She was afraid of him, but demanded him to stop.
"In one of the times he staged and organized incidents to force himself on her, he was able to create a situation in which he was sleeping in a nearby room to hers. I won't go into details, but I'll say she had all of the reasons in the world to think she was completely safe, and that he would not dare come near her. She was wrong. In the early morning, she woke up with his tongue in her mouth as he was trying to force himself on her. She pushed him off, he was afraid someone would hear it, and let go."
Yachimovich said she corroborated the story before posting it by speaking not only to the complainant but also to those who served with her in the battalion, and they confirmed the details.
She said three other women turned to her, one just this morning, claiming they've been harassed by Broshi. Yachimovich added other turned to her with stories about other women who were harassed by Broshi, but she said she chose not to take action because it was important to her it would be the complainant's own choice to come forward.
When she first approached Yachimovich, M. wrote to her that "recent events have aroused anew the disgust I felt then. The difference is that today, the fear doesn't exist, but the memory of this fear is still alive and well. My close friends, who called immediately after the recent reports, are also furious at the man, and he arouses the same feeling of disgust in them, too... I'm glad at least my daughter's generation already knows we must not be scared to go public about such cases, and there's no reason not to shame those who dare act like this."
Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay suspended Broshi two weeks ago following the complaints made against him. In response, Broshi filed a libel suit against Gabbay, demanding NIS 300,000 in compensation.
6 aug 2018
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Radical Jerusalem Faction organizes protest after Yeshiva student arrested for refusing to acknowledge draft notice, they insist on no cooperation with any draft law short of blanket exemption for Haredim.
Some 500 Haredim associated with the radical Jerusalem Faction are protesting the military arrest of a Yeshiva student, Monday afternoon in Bnei Brak. The student was arrested for his refusal to show up for his scheduled draft or deferment request. The protesters held signs accusing the state of persecuting the religious populace, “destroying souls,” and “we will rather die than enlist.” At least 19 arrests were made. |
The leaders of the Jerusalem Faction instructed their followers to continue the legacy of their founder and spiritual leader the late Rabbi Shmuel Orbach, who passed away in February. Their policy is to “shake the foundations of the world” over each arrest of a Yeshiva student who refuses to show up at the IDF’s recruitment center and is sent to military prison.
Police responded in large numbers and have closed several main roads in the vicinity of the protest. The primary thoroughfare affected is Jabotinsky Road running from east-west and connecting Tel Aviv to Petah Tikva. Police are hoping to prevent the closing of Highway 4, as has happened in previous protests.
“The Israel Police will not prevent this protest from taking place so as to allow the freedom of speech and protest to all citizens. That said, we will not allow any public disturbance and we will respond firmly to any violence,” said a statement by the police.
The “Committee to Save the Torah World” which organized the protest, on behalf of Nissan Rada who was arrested for refusing to show up at the IDF draft office, issued a statement: “The Haredi public will not cooperate with the apostasy and destruction aimed at the Torah world. Yeshiva students will continue not showing up to the draft office until the previous state of affairs, namely the blanket exemption of all Yeshiva students, is restored.”
Police responded in large numbers and have closed several main roads in the vicinity of the protest. The primary thoroughfare affected is Jabotinsky Road running from east-west and connecting Tel Aviv to Petah Tikva. Police are hoping to prevent the closing of Highway 4, as has happened in previous protests.
“The Israel Police will not prevent this protest from taking place so as to allow the freedom of speech and protest to all citizens. That said, we will not allow any public disturbance and we will respond firmly to any violence,” said a statement by the police.
The “Committee to Save the Torah World” which organized the protest, on behalf of Nissan Rada who was arrested for refusing to show up at the IDF draft office, issued a statement: “The Haredi public will not cooperate with the apostasy and destruction aimed at the Torah world. Yeshiva students will continue not showing up to the draft office until the previous state of affairs, namely the blanket exemption of all Yeshiva students, is restored.”
