11 dec 2019
Announcement comes after Blue and White head Gantz says PM triggered year-long political crisis due to his desire for parliamentary immunity for criminal charges he is now facing, calls on veteran leader to drop bid and join unity government
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was Wednesday considering forgoing a request for parliamentary immunity in an effort to push the rival Blue and White party into unity government talks before a midnight deadline forces a third round of elections in a 12-month period.
Netanyahu was last month indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
However, there was a slim possibility that this move would halt the expected dissolution of the Knesset before the midnight deadline.
Blue and White have made clear they would not be part of a Netanyahu-led government as long as the prime minister was under criminal indictment.
Likud, meanwhile, claimed Wednesday that, "Blue and White was on a rampage of spin after foiling every possible effort for a national unity coalition and having failed to form a narrow government with support from Arab MKs.
"If Blue and White agrees to extend Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and West Bank settlements, a government can be agreed upon and elections avoided," Likud officials said.
Israel's political leaders blamed one another on Wednesday for the country's political morass as the country braced for a third round of elections in less than 12 months.
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz earlier Wednesday accused Netanyahu of triggering the political crisis due to his desire for parliamentary immunity for the criminal charges.
"The fight for [Netanyahu's] immunity will have been a constant throughout all three election campaigns," Gantz said.
Under Israeli law, members of parliament do not have automatic immunity from prosecution but can seek it through the Knesset House Committee.
Netanyahu has been accused of trying to secure a Knesset majority and then pack the committee with allies who would approve his request for immunity.
Gantz on Tuesday called on the prime minister to forgo his immunity so that a government could be formed before the Wednesday midnight deadline.
"Netanyahu, you promised on the eve of the last elections, that you would not hide behind parliamentary immunity and would defend yourself in court," he said.
He added that the prime minister had every right to defend himself "but cannot turn the Knesset into a refuge."
Following the September elections, both Netanyahu and Gantz failed during their officially mandated time to form a governing coalition on their own. Then, in a final three-week window, they could not join forces to avoid another vote.
Both sides said they were working until the last minute to find some way out of the deadlock. However, a breakthrough seemed highly unlikely.
Meanwhile, the Knesset was voting Wednesday on a fast-tracked piece of legislation that would allow lawmakers to dissolve parliament and hold elections on March 2, 2020.
If the bill isn't passed by midnight, new elections would automatically be set for March 10.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was Wednesday considering forgoing a request for parliamentary immunity in an effort to push the rival Blue and White party into unity government talks before a midnight deadline forces a third round of elections in a 12-month period.
Netanyahu was last month indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
However, there was a slim possibility that this move would halt the expected dissolution of the Knesset before the midnight deadline.
Blue and White have made clear they would not be part of a Netanyahu-led government as long as the prime minister was under criminal indictment.
Likud, meanwhile, claimed Wednesday that, "Blue and White was on a rampage of spin after foiling every possible effort for a national unity coalition and having failed to form a narrow government with support from Arab MKs.
"If Blue and White agrees to extend Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and West Bank settlements, a government can be agreed upon and elections avoided," Likud officials said.
Israel's political leaders blamed one another on Wednesday for the country's political morass as the country braced for a third round of elections in less than 12 months.
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz earlier Wednesday accused Netanyahu of triggering the political crisis due to his desire for parliamentary immunity for the criminal charges.
"The fight for [Netanyahu's] immunity will have been a constant throughout all three election campaigns," Gantz said.
Under Israeli law, members of parliament do not have automatic immunity from prosecution but can seek it through the Knesset House Committee.
Netanyahu has been accused of trying to secure a Knesset majority and then pack the committee with allies who would approve his request for immunity.
Gantz on Tuesday called on the prime minister to forgo his immunity so that a government could be formed before the Wednesday midnight deadline.
"Netanyahu, you promised on the eve of the last elections, that you would not hide behind parliamentary immunity and would defend yourself in court," he said.
He added that the prime minister had every right to defend himself "but cannot turn the Knesset into a refuge."
Following the September elections, both Netanyahu and Gantz failed during their officially mandated time to form a governing coalition on their own. Then, in a final three-week window, they could not join forces to avoid another vote.
Both sides said they were working until the last minute to find some way out of the deadlock. However, a breakthrough seemed highly unlikely.
Meanwhile, the Knesset was voting Wednesday on a fast-tracked piece of legislation that would allow lawmakers to dissolve parliament and hold elections on March 2, 2020.
If the bill isn't passed by midnight, new elections would automatically be set for March 10.
5 dec 2019
PM's cousin and lawyer David Shimron
Seven people set to be indicted, pending a hearing, in what is known in Israel as Case 3000, including Netanyahu's personal attorney and cousin David Shimron, former Israel Navy commander Eliezer Marom and PM's ex-chief of staff David Sharan
State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan said Thursday he intends to indict seven men, including close associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a sweeping graft case related to a possible conflict of interest involving a $2 billion purchase of German submarines.
Nitzan’s office said in a statement the seven would be charged with various offenses, among them bribery, money laundering and fraud, pending a hearing.
Netanyahu was questioned, but not named as a suspect, in the submarine probe, known as Case 3000. But it roped in some of his closest aides and sparked questions about his earnings on a related German submarine sale to Egypt.
Among those facing charges are Netanyahu’s personal attorney, David Shimron, who is also his cousin. Shimron represented Thyssenkrupp, the German ship maker involved, and was suspected of using his influence over the prime minister in return for a hefty cut of the deal.
Thyssenkrupp has said an internal probe found no evidence of corruption in its handling of the 2016 contract for the sale of the submarines to Israel, and prosecutors have taken no action against the conglomerate.
Also set to be indicted is David Sharan, who once served as Netanyahu’s chief of staff. Former commander of the Israel Navy Admiral Eliezer Marom is also facing charges.
The Justice Ministry said prosecutors accepted recommendations made by police last year to indict Shimron, Sharan, Marom and businessman Miki Ganor, who was Thyssenkrupp's local agent.
Pending the pre-trial hearings, Shimron will be charged with money laundering; Sharan, Marom and Ganor will face that charge as well as bribery, the Justice Ministry said.
All the suspects have denied any wrongdoing.
The submarine deal has been under public scrutiny since it emerged that Shimron also represented Ganor, raising concerns of a conflict of interest.
After seeming to escape the submarine scandal, it was revealed that Netanyahu reportedly earned $4 million on a related German submarine sale to Egypt by owning shares in one of the German manufacturer’s suppliers. He has denied wrongdoing.
Netanyahu was recently charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases in which he is accused of trading regulatory or legislative favors in exchange for lavish gifts and favorable news coverage.
The prime minister has professed innocence in all three, saying the charges are trumped up by a biased justice system egged on by a liberal media.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, is fighting for his political life following two inconclusive elections and the likelihood of an unprecedented third in one year.
With the charges against him issued amid the political impasse, Netanyahu has driven up his rhetoric against his perceived enemies, berating law enforcement institutions and calling for “the investigators to be investigated.”
Seven people set to be indicted, pending a hearing, in what is known in Israel as Case 3000, including Netanyahu's personal attorney and cousin David Shimron, former Israel Navy commander Eliezer Marom and PM's ex-chief of staff David Sharan
State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan said Thursday he intends to indict seven men, including close associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a sweeping graft case related to a possible conflict of interest involving a $2 billion purchase of German submarines.
Nitzan’s office said in a statement the seven would be charged with various offenses, among them bribery, money laundering and fraud, pending a hearing.
Netanyahu was questioned, but not named as a suspect, in the submarine probe, known as Case 3000. But it roped in some of his closest aides and sparked questions about his earnings on a related German submarine sale to Egypt.
Among those facing charges are Netanyahu’s personal attorney, David Shimron, who is also his cousin. Shimron represented Thyssenkrupp, the German ship maker involved, and was suspected of using his influence over the prime minister in return for a hefty cut of the deal.
Thyssenkrupp has said an internal probe found no evidence of corruption in its handling of the 2016 contract for the sale of the submarines to Israel, and prosecutors have taken no action against the conglomerate.
Also set to be indicted is David Sharan, who once served as Netanyahu’s chief of staff. Former commander of the Israel Navy Admiral Eliezer Marom is also facing charges.
The Justice Ministry said prosecutors accepted recommendations made by police last year to indict Shimron, Sharan, Marom and businessman Miki Ganor, who was Thyssenkrupp's local agent.
Pending the pre-trial hearings, Shimron will be charged with money laundering; Sharan, Marom and Ganor will face that charge as well as bribery, the Justice Ministry said.
All the suspects have denied any wrongdoing.
The submarine deal has been under public scrutiny since it emerged that Shimron also represented Ganor, raising concerns of a conflict of interest.
After seeming to escape the submarine scandal, it was revealed that Netanyahu reportedly earned $4 million on a related German submarine sale to Egypt by owning shares in one of the German manufacturer’s suppliers. He has denied wrongdoing.
Netanyahu was recently charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases in which he is accused of trading regulatory or legislative favors in exchange for lavish gifts and favorable news coverage.
The prime minister has professed innocence in all three, saying the charges are trumped up by a biased justice system egged on by a liberal media.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, is fighting for his political life following two inconclusive elections and the likelihood of an unprecedented third in one year.
With the charges against him issued amid the political impasse, Netanyahu has driven up his rhetoric against his perceived enemies, berating law enforcement institutions and calling for “the investigators to be investigated.”
2 dec 2019
Anon Milchan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
A new election would not only buy the PM additional time in office, it would also give him the opportunity to secure a more sympathetic parliament that would support immunity
American billionaires are among the 333 witnesses who could be called to testify in criminal proceedings against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel's attorney general on Monday officially submitted his indictment of the prime minister on corruption charges.
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit announced on Nov. 21 that he was charging Netanyahu with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.
It is the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has been charged with a crime. On Monday, the indictment was formally submitted to the Knesset speaker.
Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing and has claimed he is the victim of an "attempted coup" by overzealous police investigators and prosecutors.
The charges against Netanyahu include accepting some $200,000 in gifts such as cigars and champagne from two billionaires, Hollywood-based Israeli movie mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian magnate James Packer.
Netanyahu is also accused of offering to push legislation that would benefit the publisher of a major newspaper in exchange for positive news coverage and promoting regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to a friend and telecom magnate in exchange for favorable coverage on the Israeli company's popular news site.
A new election would not only buy the PM additional time in office, it would also give him the opportunity to secure a more sympathetic parliament that would support immunity
American billionaires are among the 333 witnesses who could be called to testify in criminal proceedings against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel's attorney general on Monday officially submitted his indictment of the prime minister on corruption charges.
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit announced on Nov. 21 that he was charging Netanyahu with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.
It is the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has been charged with a crime. On Monday, the indictment was formally submitted to the Knesset speaker.
Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing and has claimed he is the victim of an "attempted coup" by overzealous police investigators and prosecutors.
The charges against Netanyahu include accepting some $200,000 in gifts such as cigars and champagne from two billionaires, Hollywood-based Israeli movie mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian magnate James Packer.
Netanyahu is also accused of offering to push legislation that would benefit the publisher of a major newspaper in exchange for positive news coverage and promoting regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to a friend and telecom magnate in exchange for favorable coverage on the Israeli company's popular news site.
Larry Ellison
Mandelblit's indictment listed potential witnesses, including Milchan and Packer, as well as U.S. casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, a longtime supporter of Netanyahu, and Oracle Corp. co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison.
Cosmetics heir Ron Lauder, another longtime Netanyahu associate, and British-American billionaire Len Blavatnik, also appear on the list. It was not immediately clear what connection Ellison or Blavatnik have to the case.
Blavatnik's company, New York-based Access Industries, declined comment. An Oracle representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dozens of police officials and former Netanyahu aides, including several who agreed to turn state witness against him, are also listed. Tamir Pardo, a former chief of the Mossad spy agency, and several prominent Israeli politicians, both allies and rivals of the prime minister, appear.
In a Twitter post, Netanyahu dismissed the large list of witnesses. "When there is a real case, you don't need 333 witnesses, and when there's no real case, even 333 witnesses won't help," he said.
Israel's political system has been in disarray for the last year, in large part because of Netanyahu's legal woes.
Two elections held this year ended in deadlock, with neither Netanyahu nor his main rival, former military chief Benny Gantz, able to secure a parliamentary majority or agree on a power-sharing rotation. If the sides cannot reach a compromise by Dec. 11, parliament will be dissolved and the country would be forced to vote again in March, its third election in less than 12 months.
One of the key sticking points in coalition negotiations has been Netanyahu's goal of receiving immunity from prosecution. Gantz has ruled out a partnership with a prime minister under indictment.
The indictment has thrown Israel into an unprecedented legal situation. Although Israeli law requires Cabinet ministers and other public officials to resign if charged with a crime, that law does not apply to sitting prime ministers. For this reason, Netanyahu is desperate to remain in office, where he is best positioned to fight the charges.
By submitting his letter to parliament's speaker, Mandelblit began an official 30-day window for Netanyahu to ask parliament for immunity. With only a minority in favor, Netanyahu's odds of success appear slim.
But late Monday, the parliament's legal adviser, Eyal Yinon, said that any request for immunity would have to be considered by the Knesset House Committee.
The current caretaker government does not have such a committee, and it appears unlikely that it will appoint one before the Dec. 11 deadline.
That means that if Netanyahu submits an immunity request, it will likely be ruled upon only after new elections and formation of a new government that appoints a committee. In another boost to Netanyahu, the decision said that the courts would not receive the indictment until after a ruling on immunity, potentially putting any trial on hold for months.
The decision gave Netanyahu another incentive to allow the parliament to dissolve next week. A new election would not only buy him additional time in office, it would also give him the opportunity to secure a more sympathetic parliament.
"Practically, if there are elections, then the whole issue is postponed until after March," said Amir Fuchs, a legal expert at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank.
"The most probable scenario is that they will ask for immunity later, in one of the last days of the 30 days, and if we are already in the process of elections then we will have to wait until after the elections" he said.
Mandelblit's indictment listed potential witnesses, including Milchan and Packer, as well as U.S. casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, a longtime supporter of Netanyahu, and Oracle Corp. co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison.
Cosmetics heir Ron Lauder, another longtime Netanyahu associate, and British-American billionaire Len Blavatnik, also appear on the list. It was not immediately clear what connection Ellison or Blavatnik have to the case.
Blavatnik's company, New York-based Access Industries, declined comment. An Oracle representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dozens of police officials and former Netanyahu aides, including several who agreed to turn state witness against him, are also listed. Tamir Pardo, a former chief of the Mossad spy agency, and several prominent Israeli politicians, both allies and rivals of the prime minister, appear.
In a Twitter post, Netanyahu dismissed the large list of witnesses. "When there is a real case, you don't need 333 witnesses, and when there's no real case, even 333 witnesses won't help," he said.
Israel's political system has been in disarray for the last year, in large part because of Netanyahu's legal woes.
Two elections held this year ended in deadlock, with neither Netanyahu nor his main rival, former military chief Benny Gantz, able to secure a parliamentary majority or agree on a power-sharing rotation. If the sides cannot reach a compromise by Dec. 11, parliament will be dissolved and the country would be forced to vote again in March, its third election in less than 12 months.
One of the key sticking points in coalition negotiations has been Netanyahu's goal of receiving immunity from prosecution. Gantz has ruled out a partnership with a prime minister under indictment.
The indictment has thrown Israel into an unprecedented legal situation. Although Israeli law requires Cabinet ministers and other public officials to resign if charged with a crime, that law does not apply to sitting prime ministers. For this reason, Netanyahu is desperate to remain in office, where he is best positioned to fight the charges.
By submitting his letter to parliament's speaker, Mandelblit began an official 30-day window for Netanyahu to ask parliament for immunity. With only a minority in favor, Netanyahu's odds of success appear slim.
But late Monday, the parliament's legal adviser, Eyal Yinon, said that any request for immunity would have to be considered by the Knesset House Committee.
The current caretaker government does not have such a committee, and it appears unlikely that it will appoint one before the Dec. 11 deadline.
That means that if Netanyahu submits an immunity request, it will likely be ruled upon only after new elections and formation of a new government that appoints a committee. In another boost to Netanyahu, the decision said that the courts would not receive the indictment until after a ruling on immunity, potentially putting any trial on hold for months.
The decision gave Netanyahu another incentive to allow the parliament to dissolve next week. A new election would not only buy him additional time in office, it would also give him the opportunity to secure a more sympathetic parliament.
"Practically, if there are elections, then the whole issue is postponed until after March," said Amir Fuchs, a legal expert at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank.
"The most probable scenario is that they will ask for immunity later, in one of the last days of the 30 days, and if we are already in the process of elections then we will have to wait until after the elections" he said.
In letter to Knesset speaker, Mandelblit announces list of 333 witness in trial set to take place at Jerusalem District Court at undeclared date; parliament's legal adviser says committee that decides immunity need not sit until new government sworn in
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Monday officially submitted to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein the indictment drawn up by his office against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for fraud, bribery and breach of trust over three separate cases.
Netanyahu now has 30 days to request parliamentary immunity, a period that expires on January 1, 2020.
While the prime minister has 30 days to submit his request, the committee that decides whether or not grant immunity, the Knesset House Committee, is not sitting as there is no government.
Furthermore, according to Knesset legal advisor Eyal Yinon, there is no requirement to appoint members of this committee until a new government has been sworn in.
In his letter to Edelstein, Mandelblit wrote that Netanyahu's trial will take place at Jerusalem District Court and that a date has been set for the proceedings but has not yet made public.
There will be an estimated 333 witnesses called during the trial, Mandelblit wrote.
The attorney general announced on November 21 that his office would indict Netanyahu in the three separate cases.
Israeli law dictates that a prime minister must resign from office if convicted, but there is less clarity concerning a pending trial.
As Israel faces a political gridlock - with the prospect of a third election growing ever likely - Israel’s Supreme Court will likely be called upon to decide whether Netanyahu will need to step down from office.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Monday officially submitted to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein the indictment drawn up by his office against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for fraud, bribery and breach of trust over three separate cases.
Netanyahu now has 30 days to request parliamentary immunity, a period that expires on January 1, 2020.
While the prime minister has 30 days to submit his request, the committee that decides whether or not grant immunity, the Knesset House Committee, is not sitting as there is no government.
Furthermore, according to Knesset legal advisor Eyal Yinon, there is no requirement to appoint members of this committee until a new government has been sworn in.
In his letter to Edelstein, Mandelblit wrote that Netanyahu's trial will take place at Jerusalem District Court and that a date has been set for the proceedings but has not yet made public.
There will be an estimated 333 witnesses called during the trial, Mandelblit wrote.
The attorney general announced on November 21 that his office would indict Netanyahu in the three separate cases.
Israeli law dictates that a prime minister must resign from office if convicted, but there is less clarity concerning a pending trial.
As Israel faces a political gridlock - with the prospect of a third election growing ever likely - Israel’s Supreme Court will likely be called upon to decide whether Netanyahu will need to step down from office.
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