According to economists’ estimates Israel has never had a sequence and a continuity in governmental corruption as dangerous as it is now.
In a series published by the PIC we shed light on the most prominent cases of corruption that affected the Israeli leaders which included the political security religious and social sectors.
In the first episode prepared by the Translation and Monitoring Department of the PIC we review the cases of the corruption of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family according to Haaretz.
The Bar-On-Hebron case 1997
In his first term Netanyahu appointed Roni Bar-On as a legal advisor to appease Aryeh Deri in exchange for Shas’s support for the Hebron agreement.
At the end of the 90-day intensive investigation in which 60 witnesses were questioned the prime minister and eight ministers were questioned by the police that recommended directing criminal charges against Netanyahu and those accused of forgery breach of trust (Avigdor Lieberman for breach of trust Deri of blackmailing and threats).
The police recommended that Netanyahu be tried on charges of forgery and breach of trust. Police said it involved mixing legitimate political moves with actions which amount to criminal activity and separating them is not easy task.
Prosecutor Rubinstein ruled that no indictment should be filed for the lack of sufficient evidence and after the prosecution’s recommendation of opening a criminal case the Attorney General announced the closure of the case.
Amedi case 1999
Netanyahu and his wife Sarah have spent money from the state coffers for private jobs at their home suspected of giving and receiving bribes fraud and obstructing interrogation procedures. The prosecution recommended that they should be tried for fraud and breach of trust.
The case began in September 1999 after the publication of an investigation on charges of corruption by Mordechai Gelat by Yediot newspaper that Netanyahu and his wife tried to transfer funds from the Prime Minister’s Office to contractor Avner Amedi in the period leading up to his election and during his tenure. Netanyahu objected and rejected the charge against him. The price seemed unreasonable to him and the prosecution recommended closing the case by the attorney general.
Bibi Torres case
The State Comptroller Shapira found there was a possibility of criminal activity. It is not appropriate for the Foreign Minister to finance the trip of Netanyahu and his wife. The Attorney-General has stated that the case is deliberate and there is no evidence in it thus the Attorney General closed the case
The garden furniture case 2015
Netanyahu and his wife moved the prime minister’s garden furniture to their own house. The police recommended that Sarah Netanyahu be prosecuted for fraud and the case focused on a number of issues that gave rise to suspicion of criminal offenses including suspected fraud and breach of trust.
The case was transferred to the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office in April 2016. Since then the case has been reinstated to resume the investigation and remains in the Fraud Investigation Unit. Netanyahu’s office replied that the allegation of irregularities was unfounded. The prime minister ran many meetings in the garden corner of his home whether in Jerusalem or Caesarea and even if a new set of garden furniture was purchased for use in Caesarea during the prime minister’s term it will be in accordance with procedures approved by the Ministry of Justice.
The electrician issue 2015
Sarah Netanyahu used the electrician close to the family in violation of the procedures and conditions of exceptional use at the expense of the state and it was recommended that the police sue Sarah for fraud and focused on a number of issues that arose because of the suspicion of criminal offenses.
The State Comptroller General Shapira raised doubts in this case. For three months Sara Netanyahu invited Avi Fahima to work at the Caesarea headquarters both on weekends when the price was more expensive and the case remained in the hands of the Police Investigations Unit.
The issue of meals 2015
Sarah Netanyahu asked for food for family and private events at the expense of the prime minister’s office; Meni Naftali former director of the prime minister’s office claimed that Netanyahu’s wife had passed a false number of the invitees to pay a larger amount of money. Instead of saying four she said the food would be given for 10.
The issue of nursing care provider 2015
Sara Netanyahu spent money on nursing care from the prime minister’s budget and it was recommended that the police sue Sarah for forgery and breach of trust. The case is still in the police investigation unit.
The case of Arnaud Mimran 2016
French Jewish millionaire Arnaud Mimran was convicted of paying 170000 euros to Netanyahu and his family. Netanyahu’s response was that he received the money in 2001 when he was a private individual and did not use it for political activity.
The case of Odelia Carmon 2016
Ari Harow a former chief of staff in Netanyahu’s office headed an American organization that has funded Odelia Carmon’s salary who worked for Netanyahu during his tenure as an opposition leader. Harow is suspected of breaching trust and is likely to accept a $ 3 million deal.
Ari Harow urged senior officials in the attorney general’s office and the police to conduct a deeper examination of Netanyahu and Carmon who said “Bibi entered a crazy hysteria and asked me to return the money.” The legal advisor decided to stop the examination because in his opinion and eventually the evidence will be proved and the judicial adviser closed the case.
The issue of submarines 2016
David Shomron an Israeli lawyer and Netanyahu’s cousin and a private attorney in a special investigation conducted by Raviv Drucker (an investigative reporter for Channel 10) revealed in September 2016 that David Shomron represented Mickey Ganor (an Israeli businessman and former naval missile ship and company representative) before ThyssenKrupp a German company which manufactures weapons. He said that he had held negotiations to sign an agreement to supply three submarines from the company claiming that there was a ‘conflict of interests’ between his deals and his family connection to Netanyahu and the investigation is still ongoing.
File No. 1000 for the year 2016
The content of the file revolves around the request of Netanyahu and his wife from rich people to buy luxury items such as cigars and luxury beverages worth hundreds of thousands of shekels including Arno Milichan an Israeli businessman who is one of Hollywood’s leading producers.
Attorney General Mandelblit authorized the police to investigate Netanyahu on suspicion of systematically accepting gifts from some millionaires. Ultimately a decision was made to conduct an investigation cautiously and evidence was collected that challenged the claim which changed the course of the issue.
File No. 2000 of 2016
Netanyahu tried to reach an agreement with the publisher of Yediot Ahronot newspaper Noni Mozes who received sympathetic coverage in the newspaper in exchange for reducing the activity of Israel Hayom newspaper. The police investigated Moses and then released him conditionally.
The legal advisor of the government said Attorney General Mandelblit had discussed the case in the spring of 2016 and only six months later he authorized opening an investigation with Netanyahu. The state prosecutor believes that the results of the investigation constitute a groundwork for an investigation with the prime minister and the charges are being investigated.
