NETANYAHU INDICTED: A-G TO CHARGE PM WITH BRIBERY, FRAUD, BREACH OF TRUST

[Gefn]

Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit announced his final indictment on Thursday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, making him the first prime minister in Israeli history to be indicted while still in office.

Bezeq and Walla! owner Shaul Elovitch and his wife, Iris, were also indicted for bribery and obstruction of justice. In addition, the owner of Yediot Ahronot, Arnon Nuni Mozes, was indicted for bribery.

https://m.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Mandelblit-reportedly-will-announce-Netanyahu-indictment-today-608541

[Idiot]

Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit announced his final indictment on Thursday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, making him the first prime minister in Israeli history to be indicted while still in office.

Bezeq and Walla! owner Shaul Elovitch and his wife, Iris, were also indicted for bribery and obstruction of justice. In addition, the owner of Yediot Ahronot, Arnon Nuni Mozes, was indicted for bribery.

https://m.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Mandelblit-reportedly-will-announce-Netanyahu-indictment-today-608541

Looks like he's getting the Trump treatment....

[montanajoe]

Hmmm.....no wonder Trump likes this guy...

[Right_in_Virginia]

Looks like he's getting the Trump treatment....

Please, do not conflate the two men. 

[TomSea]

The charges against Israeli PM Netanyahu

Here is a look at the allegations against the veteran premier, who denies them all:

- Champagne, Cigars -

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said he was indicting Netanyahu for fraud and breach of trust in what are known as cases 1,000 and 2,000 and for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in case 4,000.

Read more at: https://news.yahoo.com/charges-against-israeli-pm-netanyahu-174631947.html

I heard about some of this, some time ago. Some of this sounds like small stuff, not like being bribed with $500,000 or even $50,000.

This article probably gives a basic primer of matters.

AFP who seems decent to me, recanted something this past week... well, they changed their story but I can't remember what it was about.

Anything can be a stickied topic.... if anyone wants that.

[TomSea]

All King Bibi's men: Netanyahu's inner circle key to criminal cases
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-netanyahu-investigation/all-king-bibis-men-netanyahus-inner-circle-key-to-criminal-cases-idUSKBN1XX03G

Obviously, I have no idea how these charges could go and I hope Netanyahu and others for that matter, have done no wrongdoing. As they say, no man or woman, is or should be above the law. I don't really feel like digging into the intricate details of that case.

[Right_in_Virginia]

The charges

According to the indictment, the prime minister “damaged the image of the public service and public trust in it,” and is suspected of abusing his position and status, and of knowingly “taking a bribe as a public servant in exchange for actions related to your position.”

The prime minister has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in all three cases, and has alleged that the investigations against him are a “witch hunt” involving the left, the media and the police relentlessly pressuring a “weak” attorney general.

In Case 1000, involving accusations that Netanyahu received gifts and benefits from billionaire benefactors including Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for favors, Mandelblit said he intended to charge Netanyahu with fraud and breach of trust — the latter being a somewhat murkily defined offense relating to an official violating the trust the public has placed in him. Milchan is not to be charged.

According to the indictment in this case, Netanyahu “damaged the image of public service and the public’s trust in it, in that while serving in public positions, and foremost as prime minister, you maintained for years an inappropriate relationship with Milchan and Packer.

“This included receiving benefits connected to your public positions totaling over NIS 700,000 [some $200,000] and acting in favor of businessman Milchan while in a severe conflict of interest.

“In your actions you allegedly abused your position and status and significantly and seriously harmed the propriety of the public administration, the integrity of public servants and public trust in public servants,” the charge sheet read.

In his 20-minute appearance on Thursday evening, Mandelblit described “a real supply line” of cigars and champagne to the Netanyahus.

In Case 2000, involving accusations Netanyahu agreed with Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper publisher Arnon Mozes to weaken the circulation of a rival daily in return for more favorable coverage from Yedioth, Mandelblit said he would seek to charge the premier with fraud and breach of trust, while Mozes will be charged with bribery. The case is said to have been a contentious one in Mandelblit’s office, with many prosecution officials reportedly arguing that Netanyahu should be charged with bribery, while Mandelblit considered not charging the prime minister at all.

The indictment said that Netanyahu and Mozes “recognized that the one had the ability to promote the other’s interest” in the run-up to the 2015 elections and discussed such possibilities.

“According to suspicions, in your actions while performing your duties you have committed acts that amount to breach of trust, and have caused substantial harm to the integrity [of the position] and the public’s trust.”

Mandelblit noted in his comments that Netanyahu conducted “corrupt discussions” on a quid pro quo deal with Mozes. And although he never concluded the deal, and thus was not being charged with bribery in this case, the attorney general said, Netanyahu strung Mozes along to try to secure beneficial coverage ahead of the then-imminent elections.

In Case 4000, widely seen as the most serious against the premier, Netanyahu is accused of having advanced regulatory decisions that benefited Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder in the Bezeq telecom giant, in exchange for positive coverage from the Elovitch-owned Walla news site. In that case Mandelblit announced he intends to charge Netanyahu and Elovitch with bribery.

The indictment says the relationship between Netanyahu and Elovitch was “based on give and take,” and the prime minister’s actions benefiting Elovitch netted the businessman benefits to the tune of some NIS 1.8 billion ($500 million) in the period 2012-2017. In exchange, Elovitch’s Walla news site “published your political messages that you wished to convey to the public.

“You took benefits… while knowing you were taking a bribe as a public servant in exchange for actions related to your position.”

The prime minister’s actions, write state prosecutors, “were carried out amid a conflict of interests, the weighing of outside considerations relating to his own and his family’s interests, and involved the corrupting of the public servants reporting to him.”

Said Mandelblit on Thursday, Netanyahu skewed government policy, in return for positive coverage from Walla, to immensely benefit Elovitch financially.

[...]

Only once a new coalition is formed — either over the next several weeks or, failing that, after the next round of elections slated for March — can a Knesset House Committee take up the question. (of immunity)

Even if Netanyahu’s immunity request is rejected, it could take until May or June for the formal decision to be made. A formal indictment could still be more than seven months away.

He could, however, be forced to immediately relinquish any ministerial portfolios under his purview. Those currently include health (the Health Ministry is in practice run by deputy health minister Yaakov Litzman), social affairs, Diaspora and agriculture.

Ehud Olmert, the country’s first former premier to serve prison time, stepped down from office in 2008 during the investigation into him, but before the intention to file charges was announced. He served 16 months in prison on corruption offenses and was released in July 2017.


More:  https://www.timesofisrael.com/ag-announces-netanyahu-to-stand-trial-for-bribery-fraud-and-breach-of-trust/

[libertybele]

I don't know much about the background leading up to this nor very little about the man.  I do know that the Bammy administration was anti-Netanyahu and refused to invite him here.  He was invited here by Congress to speak.  The speech that he gave I remember as very powerful, and one that stood for freedom and opposed the advancement of ISIS.  With that being said ... and, as one poster commented, he seems to be getting the "Trump" treatment from his own.  If the liberals in our Congress didn't want him here, nor the Bammy administration, that to me speaks volumes and I tend to believe that Netanyahu may have been railroaded.

I do find it interesting that he has been indicted at the same time Trump is facing impeachment.

[Bigun]

Hmmm.... has got to make one wonder.....

Can't avoid seeing the string of attacks on national leaders with strong "nationalistic" tendencies... add what seems to be some kind of British version of a "bimbo eruption" on Johnson... and if I am not mistaken, didn't one of the Central European nationalists get taken out recently?

 

[aligncare]

Hmmm.... has got to make one wonder.....

Can't avoid seeing the string of attacks on national leaders with strong "nationalistic" tendencies... add what seems to be some kind of British version of a "bimbo eruption" on Johnson... and if I am not mistaken, didn't one of the Central European nationalists get taken out recently?

 

I have no doubt that the same international forces attacking Trump are behind the phony Netanyahu attacks.

[Right_in_Virginia]

I have no doubt that the same international forces attacking Trump are behind the phony Netanyahu attacks.

How so @aligncare

[DCPatriot]

How so @aligncare

Israel was supposed to have been under siege by now.   Pres. Trump wasn't supposed to win.

...especially when POTUS Obama had all his intelligence agencies weaponized.

IMO, they've been spying on Netanyahu since he first appeared on the scene, however, Obama, who wouldn't even let James Rosen of FOXNEWS alone, focused a lot of attention of Bibi.

They've mirrored the same strategy in Israel as they are doing to Pres. Trump here in the States.

@aligncare  is on to something. 

[Chosen Daughter]

Must be a conspiracy tied to American elections.

I think we need an investigation.  A three year one.

I hope it isn't tied to the Trump and Haley Temple Tax coins.

https://www.vkcopyucdesign.xyz/temple-coin-half-shekel-nikki-haley-2019-sanhedrin-court-jewish-israel-bnib-item-20925.html

[libertybele]

Israel was supposed to have been under siege by now.   Pres. Trump wasn't supposed to win.

...especially when POTUS Obama had all his intelligence agencies weaponized.

IMO, they've been spying on Netanyahu since he first appeared on the scene, however, Obama, who wouldn't even let James Rosen of FOXNEWS alone, focused a lot of attention of Bibi.

They've mirrored the same strategy in Israel as they are doing to Pres. Trump here in the States.

@aligncare  is on to something.

Exactly.

[Chosen Daughter]

Exactly.

Its a witch hunt.

[libertybele]

Gee, scenario sound familiar???

...“coup attempt” involving police, prosecutors and the media...

Israel's Netanyahu faces court, party challenges after indictment

His indictment on Thursday came amid unprecedented political disarray in Israel, after elections in April and September in which neither Netanyahu nor his main challenger, centrist Benny Gantz, secured a governing majority in parliament. .......

...........While voicing appreciation for Netanyahu’s record-long term and noting he was innocent until proven otherwise, Saar criticized the premier’s attempts to cast his criminal prosecution as a “coup attempt” involving police, prosecutors and the media...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-politics/israels-netanyahu-faces-court-party-challenges-after-indictment-idUSKBN1XY09V