APN's daily news review from Israel

Thursday February 15, 2018
 

Quote of the day:

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Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
*Two days after the police recommendations to indict Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on bribery and breach of trust, today’s Hebrew papers examined in detail how Netanyahu allegedly helped Israeli billionaire Arnon Milchan, for which he received a million shekels worth of gifts. But Netanyahu's saidyesterday that the “Police recommendations have more holes than Swiss cheese,” and the papers noted that Israeli ministers Naftali Bennet and Moshe Kahlon of the other parties who hold together the coalition said they would stand beside Netanyahu and wait for the decision of the Attorney General about whether he would be put on trial (Bennet did say that the leader of the Jewish state should not get gifts from billionaires). The papers also quoted the Hadashot evening news, which reported that top prosecutors at the State Attorney’s Office said the case may not be as solid as investigators would have the public believe. Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, responded to coalition members who called him a ‘snitch’ for being a key witness in the case. Lapid said that Netanyahu and his gang talk like criminals, not public servants.

Two polls revealed interesting findings: Namely that about half of the Israelis believe the police that Netanyahu acted improperly, most Israelis want Netanyahu to resign, and yet his party is still in the lead. (See Haaretz and Israel Hayom)

Maariv reported that the Zionist Camp decided to remind Netanyahu of what he said in 2008, when then-prime minister Ehud Olmert was in the same position. A billboard on the Ayalon Highway quoted Netanyahu: “A prime minister who is immersed in interrogations - has no moral mandate.”

Meanwhile, the embattled Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh was summoned to the Knesset to defend today his claim that 'powerful' elements involved in the investigations against the prime minister tried to collect information about the investigating police officers. Moreover, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan called on Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit to carry out an inquiry into Alsheikh claim.
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:
IN PHOTOS Winter Olympics 2018: A look at Israel's best moments so far
Israel has never won a medal in the winter Olympics, but this games, with its largest contingent ever, this year may be the year. (Haaretz)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu, Take Your Own Advice and Go Home (Haaretz Editorial) If Netanyahu genuinely cared about the country, rather than himself, he would resign immediately.
When you are a king (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) In his first two terms, Netanyahu was prime minister. Towards the end of his third term, he became king, in his own mind and in the eyes of his voters. And a king can do whatever he wants, including initiate a series of aggressive moves which have nothing to do with the state’s best interest.
This Time, Netanyahu Can’t Hide From the Allegations Against Him (Gidi Weitz, Haaretz+) The price of admission to the center of power was steep enough – and the requests brazen enough – that the prime minister may not get off so easy this time.
Netanyahu's big problem: Evidence has rules of its own (Moran Azulay, Yedioth/Ynet) No speech, as good as it may be, can rescue the prime minister from the legal imbroglio he has gotten himself into; even if the two cases against him are combined into one, and even if Case 2000 is closed and Case 1000 is reduced from bribery suspicions to fraud and breach of trust, he won’t be able to escape an indictment.
Could Israel's next war be connected to the bribery recommendations? (Yossi Klein, Haaretz+) Well, we tell ourselves, even cynical Netanyahu wouldn't risk our lives just to stop some investigation – even one that could put him in prison.
He’s selling us lies: When Netanyahu began fooling his lawyers too (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Attorney Dan Avi-Yitzhak, who was sent to defend the prime minister on Army Radio, claimed that the Balfour resident did not know Milchan's connections to a joint project with Jordan. But he knew very well.
Netanyahu Has to Leave (Dan Margalit, Haaretz+) The fact that a prime minister is willing to exploit the law to stay in power without any benefit to the people condemns him.
What will the returning residents who were supposed to benefit from the Milchan Law do now? (Yehuda Sharoni, Maariv) The foreign tax authorities were powerless because they could not get any information about the owners of the companies in their jurisdiction. Attempts by professionals to minimize the damage were unsuccessful.
The law that's plaguing Netanyahu – and driving the tax office crazy (Efrat Neuman, Haaretz+) Tax breaks for new immigrants and returning Israelis may have been crafted to benefit Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan, a key figure in 'case 1000.’
The spoiled son who stretched the patience of the United States - the story of Arnon Milchan (Yossi Melman, Maariv) …In the 1960s he traveled as a playboy in a race car in Tel Aviv and was like a member of the family at the homes of Moshe Dayan and Shimon Peres. Due to his family ties with international chemical companies, he was recruited to serve as a collaborator of the secret unit in the Ministry of Defense, the “Office of Foreign Relations“ (‘LAKAM’ in Hebrew). His job was, inter alia, to obtain materials for the Dimona nuclear program. Milchan did it efficiently. With the help of his companies, he established a system of purchasing bodies that supplied materials and equipment for a reactor, which enabled Israel, according to foreign publications, to develop nuclear weapons…Milchan worked on a voluntary basis, free of charge, but due to his contribution and connections in the top echelon of the government he made quite a few profits, which increased his fortune. The security and government systems in Israel rewarded him for his contribution by enabling him to serve as an agent and contact person for American and Israeli companies who did security and other business with Iran during the Shah and with Taiwan and South Africa. Later, from the height of his fortune, Milchan moved to Hollywood to fulfill his dream of producing films. In 1985, the US law enforcement authorities caught on to Milchan's activities. They discovered that the Milco Company he founded was involved in the smuggling of sensitive and essential equipment for the development of nuclear weapons. At the start of the investigation, the FBI stopped his partner and corporate director, Colonel Richard Kelly Smyth, who was released on bail, fled the US to Europe and was declared a fugitive. For more than a decade, Smyth lived hand-to-mouth, supported by the Israeli defense establishment, which gave him a monthly stipend of several thousand dollars through Milchan's office in Israel. At the end of the 1990s, Smyth was fed up with his situation and he turned himself in to the legal authorities in his homeland and reached a plea bargain with them. After serving his sentence, he found himself with nothing to his name and felt deceived by his partner and friend Milchan, who was never brought to trial. Milchan should have lowered his profile and enjoyed his fortune and his status as a producer in Hollywood. But no, someone like him, full of charm, who wants to be in the center of things and always knows how to connect with politicians in the center of power, would not do that. He was interviewed for a book (about him) written by journalists Meir Doron and Joe (Joseph) Gelman, and recounted his exploits as an agent of LAKAM. But the book had no direct quotes. The authors agreed to present his words as facts without revealing him as their source. Fortunately for him, the publication aroused much interest, but it did not wake up the law enforcement agencies in the United States. But again, the element of bravado and the desire to impress and charm stood in his way. He was interviewed for the "Uvda" Israeli TV investigative program, in which he publicly confirmed in his own voice and for the first time his actions on behalf of Israel's nuclear program. This time it irritated the US law enforcement agencies. They decided to punish him and renew his residence permit for only one year rather than ten years, as they had in the past and as is customary with most Israeli citizens. Against this background, Netanyahu intervened for him - and the rest will be decided by the attorney general.
The Israeli James Bond? Arnon Milchan and his ties to the secret services (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+) The movie mogul at the center of a corruption case involving Prime Minister Netanyahu has led the kind of life he often shows on the big screen.
The cheap Indian cars that could drive Netanyahu to jail (Josh Breiner, Haaretz+) How a Hollywood producer, an Indian carmaker and the Israeli PM pushed a plan to produce vehicles for the Arab world, according to police.
The police recommend, the AG decides (Prof. Aviad Hacohen, Israel Hayom) Under Israeli law, while police findings should be considered, the attorney general alone decides on an indictment. A government's fate must not be determined by just one entity.
The Woman Who Could Decide Netanyahu’s Fate (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) The PM is regretting naming Roni Alsheich as police chief and hoping he doesn’t regret picking Avichai Mendelblit as attorney general. But it's another public servant, virtually unknown outside of judicial circles, on whom his premiership may rest.
For Netanyahu's cabinet it's about political survival now (Zvi Zrahiya, Haaretz+) With distracted ministers, 2018 may turn out to be a wasted year regarding economic achievements.
No reasonable right-wing Jew can now say Trump is keeping Israel safe (Eric H. Yoffie, Haaretz+) As the White House goes AWOL on the threat from Syria and Iran, Jewish Republicans’ attempt to justify their 'Trump is Israel’s best friend' mantra is just defensive and desperate nonsense.
The closing of the ranks in the Likud, the hypocrisy on the left and the celebrations in the media: we deserve more (Nadav Haetzni, Maariv) The actions attributed to Netanyahu are grave and numerous, and there is nothing connecting them to gifts or cigars. Even those actions which the prime minister admits to oblige him to draw conclusions, and yet the people in his party remain silent.
Netanyahu is now weak and vulnerable and his political partners in Israel know it (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) The police sewed up Netanyahu from head to toe – a hermetic seal, at least in the eyes of a layman - which won't suffice with a public reprimand
The demagogue’s defense that Netanyahu and Trump share: It’s a witch-hunt, and God will vindicate us (Don Futterman, Haaretz+) Netanyahu, the avowed atheist, now calls on God to help and defend him. But until that divine sign of favor is revealed, he’s going to use his bully pulpit to attack the rule of law – and the basic intelligence of every Israeli
We May Miss Netanyahu Yet (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) A moment before the party ends, we should start thinking about the morning after.
Let the Poles be (Dr. Efraim Podoksik, Israel Hayom) While some Poles collaborated with the Nazis, millions of Poles were also killed. Irresponsible, politically opportunistic attacks on Poland harm the friendship between our countries
Why Do Arabs Always Win the Wars Against Israel? (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) The one who wins doesn’t seek out further confrontation; after all, he won. The only problem is with the one who’s continuing to threaten and won’t let it go.
Israel working to prevent a war while upholding its red lines (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) The growing enthusiasm in the Shiite axis over the downing of an Israeli F-16 fighter jet could prompt Syria or Iran to launch wide-scale responses to any Israeli strike in Syria or Lebanon; senior defense officials are making it clear, however, that Israel won’t hesitate to act in full force—even at the cost of an all-out war in the north.
The Link Between Jews and Money Is No Longer Taboo (Ofri Ilany, Haaretz+) After years of focusing on anti-Semitism, more and more historians are daring to deal with a subject long considered untouchable.

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.