Netanyahu corruption trial to open on March 17

Trial scheduled to open two weeks after general election; justice who convicted former PM Olmert will lead judges' panel

Yael Freideson|02.18.20 | 14:35

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial will open on March 17 at 3 p.m., the Justice Ministry announced on Tuesday. 
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Last Wednesday, the District Court in Jerusalem announced the three-judge panel that will manage the judicial proceedings, led by Justice Rivkah Friedman-Feldman, alongside judges Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 
(Photo: Reuters)
Friedman-Feldman served on the panel that convicted former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the Talansky Affair retrial.
On January 28, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit filed the indictments against Netanyahu at the Jerusalem District Court on three separate charges of corruption.
The move came just hours after Netanyahu, who was in Washington for the roll-out of U.S. President Donald Trump's Mideast peace plan, withdrew his request for parliamentary immunity from prosecution for charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
This is the first time in Israel's 71-year history that a sitting prime minister has been indicted. Olmert resigned before the charges, that ultimately led to a prison sentence, could be brought against him.
The indictments relate to three separate investigations, known as Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000 (Case 3000, which related to the purchase of German submarines by the Israeli Navy, did not lead to charges against the prime minister). 
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Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announces Netanyahu's indictments 
(Photo: Rafi Kutz)
The most serious charges are connected to Case 4000 and include bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu is accused of passing regulations that gave telecom magnate Shaul Elovitch benefits worth over $250 million to his company Bezeq. In return, Bezeq's news site, Walla, published favorable articles about Netanyahu and his family. Shaul Elovitch and his wife Iris have also been charged with bribery.
Netanyahu is also charged with fraud and breach of trust in Case 2000, in which the prime minister and Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet owner Arnon Mozes allegedly discussed mutual assistance to promote one another's interests during private meetings that began in 2009 and lasted for several years. Mozes has been charged with bribery over the affair.
Case 1000 also involves charges of fraud and breach of trust, in which Netanyahu's gifts of champagne from billionaires Arnon Milchan and James Packer turned into a sort of supply line. 
The indictment said Netanyahu assisted the Israeli Hollywood mogul Milchan with extending his U.S. visa. It was not immediately clear what, if anything, Packer received in return.

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gantz has nothhing to say that is worthwhile

gantz acts like lapid more and more. he talks airy fairy about restoring relations with us democrats, that bibi's corruption trial is a sad day while at the same time if reports are accurate blessing the work of olmert.he says he is a security hawk. where was he in the iran hit discussion-nowhere to be found. where was in the gaza war-way behind the facts on the ground. Bennett is far more aggressive than gantz so Israelis would be wasting their time. and security is not a joke. if oslo cost 3000 Israeli casualties, the next round will see 30,000 Israeli casualties from hamastan on the west bank. better the devil you know than the devil you do not know. do not vote for lapid and gantz. eventually bibi will step down and hand the reins to bennett. on his worst day,bibi is better than gantz and lapid. the 2 of them will destroy Israel with their territorial concessions.

art| 02.18.20

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bibi has a point

if bibi's corruption trial is out in the open, fair is fair. doucments on just what ashkenazi did in the harpaz affair should be aired fully if the media is honest. they are so one sided, that they are not protesting in revulsion at olmert trying to sway rivlin to expunge his criminal record. if rivlin should do it for olmert , then he and the country he represents are rotten to the core. olmert is unfit to serve in any capacity in govt. his peace plan stinks of capitulation to the highest degree. Israelis waited and waited for this moron to pull a good trigger during the hezbollah war. he failed miserably. now he wants Israel to trust him. rivlin-do not expunge his record. he is totally underserving.

ed| 02.18.20

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