Ya'alon: 'I blocked the submarine deal, it was renewed after I left'
Former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon weighs in on submarine deal, in which PM Netanyahu is suspected of conflict of interests; 'This deal is in the billions,' says Ya'alon. 'I did not ask for it as defense minister and neither did the IDF chief of staff or the commander of the Navy.'
Former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon published a video on Facebook on Wednesday in which he refers to the submarine affair, in which PM Netanyahu and is suspected of conflict of interests.
"I personally blocked the submarine deal when I was defense minister, and the deal was renewed only after I left the ministry," Ya'alon said, who added that he had already given his full testimony to the police. "I am waiting for the investigation to be completed, and I am not publicly speaking about the details I know so as not to sabotage it."
"I believe indictments will be filed," added Ya'alon. "In the event that indictments are not filed, I will have something to say and will state this in public, because this deal is in the billions. I did not ask for it as defense minister and neither did the IDF chief of staff or the commander of the Navy."
"These billions, they do not meet the security needs, and as far as I'm concerned, they could have been given the disabled people who are demonstrating right now, the problems in the hospitals, the emergency rooms, the poverty that exists in Israel, though it was perhaps easier to stay quiet."
Ya'alon posted the video after giving an interview with Channel 2, in which he was asked whether he thought Netanyahu was guilty of any wrongdoing in the submarine deal. ""I have no doubt, it just needs to be investigated. The entire affair and the German shipyard is dirty. There are interests here that are not those of the State of Israel."
He added that "I knew about previous prime ministers who were corrupt," said Ya'alon. "Here, I heard gossip about conduct, and it wasn't really interesting. But the disregarding of priorities by a prime minister who prefers a favor, or money, over the interests of the state—that for me was a crisis."
The Prime Minister's Office refuted Ya'alon's claims. "Ya'alon's statements are nonsense and nothing more than mean-spiritedness. It goes without saying that the Justice Ministry has already made an official statement, in accordance with the state attorney and attorney general, that the prime minister is not a suspect in the Case 3,000 (another name for the submarine affair—ed)."
Touching upon reports that any political party that Ya'alon will found will not be able to garner the necessary votes to join the Knesset, the PMO continued by stating, "Ya'alon will have to find other ways to pass the voting threshold."
