PM Netanyahu (L) and the late PM Rabin
Photos: Yaakov Saar/GPO, Moti Milrod
MK Zohar compares PM Netanyahu to slain PM Rabin
Likud MK Miki Zohar says, 'What they're doing to Benjamin Netanyahu—stopping short of taking his life—is murder. They did the same to Rabin and they're trying to depose Netanyahu in the same manner'; Labor party: 'Zohar shames the Likud, the Knesset and the country.'
Chairman of the Knesset's House Committee MK Miki Zohar (Likud) compared on Haifa Radio Monday the murder of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the investigations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and their attendant media coverage, alleging that Netanyahu had also suffered a form of political assassination.
The Labor party responded to the Likud MK's comments by saying he "shamed the Likud, the Knesset and the country."
When asked whether Likud members were counting down to the end of Netanyahu's days as premier, Zohar replied, "No. We're not at that point. We're at a point where we see a situation of a political murder of a prime minister—which of course includes political persecution. I consider what's been done to the prime minister to be political murder."
The same thing being done to PM Netanyahu (L) was done to slaim fmr. PM Rabin, Likud MK Miki Zohar said (Photo: Moti Milrod, Yaakov Sa'ar/GPO)
"Yes, I'm comparing the Rabin assassination to what's being done to the prime minister. I compare them because what's being done to (Netanyahu) is everything except taking his life. That's what they're doing to show that they've succeeded in deposing a prime minister undemocratically," the MK stated.
Zohar further elucidated on his theory, "What they did to Rabin was a heinous murderer came along and took the prime minister out of office by taking his life. Undemocratically, contemptibly, and he was incarcerated for the rest of his life. That's what they're doing to Prime Minister Netanyahu, except for taking his life. They're doing everything to remove him from office, by any means necessary, which is no less grave to me."
The Likud MK then claimed that, "The Israel Police is biased. When it comes to Netanyahu's investigations, they are not objective. I have theory that (Lahav 433 founder and Yesh Atid member Yoav) Segalovic is friends with the investigators. He worked with them, and commanded some of them, and together with (Yesh Atid chief and key witness against Netanyahu) Yair Lapid they've been conspiring to take out the prime minister undemocratically.
MK Zohar also wondered why Yair Lapid was not being investigated (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)
"We saw Yair Lapid was (a central witness). Why isn't he being investigated on Arnon Milchan and the story they're now trying to pin on the prime minister? Because we know Lapid was employed by Milchan. Milchan's daughter, which is the same as Milchan himself, donated a lot of money to his party."
MK Zohar was also asked on the possibility of advising the prime minister to take a leave of absence from the premiership in light of the investigations against him and the police's recommendation to indict him for bribery. "I don't want to say that, because I don't think he should do it. Police are doing a wonderful job in Israel when it comes to law enforcement, handling crime, maintaining public safety. No doubt it," the MK said.
"There's only one thing police can't seem to do, as they fail at doing it time after time, and that's investigating public officials and celebrities. In those cases, the police—either through the embrace of the media or through the public opinion they wish to win over—simply lose it.
"They arrest people for nothing. They end up releasing them, and never charge them. Erez Wiener, Avi Benayahu and many others. It's one of the police's biggest problems and should be examined by a State Investigation Committee."
The Labor party added to their prior comment that, "If anyone still remains in the Likud movement with any kind of statism, they should disavow Zohar's statements and fully and immediately denounce them."
