Feb 28,2018 -JORDAN TIMES –
Donald Trump’s December 6th decision to shift the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and his announcement last week that the ambassador would move to the holy city in mid-May in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of Israel could shore up, at least temporarily, the increasingly challenged premiership of Benjamin Netanyahu. He is set to meet Trump on March 5th in the Oval Office in a lovefest choreographed to improve the Israeli’s chances of surviving scandal on his home front.
Netanyahu faces criminal indictments in no less than four cases of bribery and fraud investigated by the Israeli police and submitted to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, a Netanyahu appointee who has yet to press charges. In the first case, the police found Netanyahu and his wife Sarah had received gifts of cigars, champagne, jewellery and other items worth $283,100 between 2007 and 2016 from Australian businessman James Packer and Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, who are said to have received political favours and financial benefits in return.
Packer is said to have provided Netanyahu’s son, Yair, free flights and luxury hotel accommodations, as well as tickets for the entire family to attend a concert by Packer’s ex-fiancée Mariah Carey. Packer argues he is acting as a friend.
However, Netanyahu stands accused of intervening with US officials to obtain for billionaire Milchan a ten-year US visa and promoting a law to extend for repatriating the Israelis a ten-year tax exemption on income earned abroad. The effort was obstructed from the finance ministry. Netanyahu also advanced Milchan’s interests in the Israeli television sector and boosted a deal benefiting Milchan’s Indian business partner.
A second case involves a proposal from Netanyahu to Arnon Mozes, publisher of Yediot Ahronoth newspaper, to promote legislation that would undermine rival daily, Israel Hayom, in exchange for positive coverage of the prime minister’s actions and policies.
The third case implicates close Netanyahu aides in bribing Israeli defence officials to get them to purchase German submarines and other naval vessels. One of the accused, Michael Ganor, testified in exchange for a year in prison and a $2.8 million fine that an attorney enjoying close relations with Netanyahu used his influence to convince him to approve the deal.
In the fourth case, unveiled last month, he is charged with providing favours to Israel’s Bezeq telecommunications company in exchange for favourable coverage on its Walla! news portal. This case became a fresh threat to Netanyahu when Communications Ministry Director-General Shlomo Filber, the man who handled the deal, turned state’s witness.
Categories: America, Americas, Israel, United States