MK Tzachi HaNegbi
Former Minister Tzachi HaNegbi is to be indicted on charges of using his position as Minister of the Environment, in 2003-4, to appoint many of his political cronies to various positions. So announced Attorney General Menachem Mazuz today. Hanegbi was one of the last long-time Likud members to jump to Ariel Sharon's Kadima party several months ago.
Related charges to be brought against HaNegbi include breach of trust, election campaign bribery, and false testimony. HaNegbi said he agrees to have his parliamentary immunity removed. "I hope there will not be delays," he said, "and that my full acquittal will be achieved in court. My only sin was presenting candidates for various positions, just as other ministers did for many years."
During one internal Likud election campaign, an ad for HaNegbi boasted that he held the record for most Likud-member appointments. HaNegbi later said that he was not involved with producing the ad, but evidence has been brought to light contesting this claim.
HaNegbi will be replaced as Chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee by rookie MK Otniel Shneller of Kadima. Shneller, an observant Jew from the Yesha community of Michmas, attained notoriety for his support for a withdrawal from Yesha.
Chaim Ramon
Another Kadima Party member - Justice Minister Chaim Ramon, formerly of the Labor Party - was informed today that the police feel they have sufficient evidence to indict him on charges of an indecent act towards a government employee. Attorney General Mazuz having completed his work on the HaNegbi case, will now have to decide whether or not to indict Ramon. Mazuz already cautioned Ramon several weeks ago, following the latter's 7-hour police interrogation, that he must refrain from dealing with certain aspects of his job as Minister of Justice.
IDF Chief Dan Halutz
In yet a third case, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz admitted today, following a report in Maariv, that he gave orders to sell his investment portfolio just three hours after it was learned that two soldiers had been kidnapped in the north.
The abduction of the soldiers was accompanied by the killing of several soldiers, Katyusha rockets against northern towns, government deliberations that later turned into a decision to wage nearly all-out war - and a decision by Halutz, the head of the army, to sell his stocks. His 120,000-shekel portfolio ($27,300) was sold, and in fact the Tel Aviv Stock Exchanged index dropped 8% over the next two days.
Halutz criticized Maariv for what he called its "tendentious and wicked" report. "I do not intend to be dragged into an issue that casts aspersions on my integrity," he said today. "I am a citizen of this country and I have my own farm."
Politicians in the opposition do not agree. MK Gilad Erdan (Likud) said, "The Chief of Staff is not just like everyone else; he is supposed to symbolize the strength of the IDF... It used to be that leaders would ask what they can do for their country, but now apparently they ask what the stock exchange did today."
MK Zevulun Orlev, head of the National Religious Party, went even further, calling upon the Attorney General to investigate the matter. Orlev said he suspects a possible use of insider information, abuse of one's position, and breach of trust.
"We expect that at critical hours," Orlev said, "the Chief of Staff would be spending all his time and all his efforts only in running the war, and not in managing his personal affairs of profits on the stock exchange."
The Jewish Leadership (Manhigut Yehudit) faction of the Likud called for Halutz to be fired: "No commission of inquiry is needed to reveal the ethical rot of one who received his job in order to expel thousands of Jews from their homes [Halutz was appointed Chief of Staff just ten weeks before the expulsion from Gush Katif and northern Shomron - ed.], thus abandoning the State of Israel to an existential threat."
"One who is busy with selling his stocks at the time that he is supposed to be leading the army to war is a person who is corrupt to the core, and is not worthy of heading the Israel Defense Forces," said Manhigut leader Michael Puah.
Unnamed sources in the IDF General Staff said there would probably be no choice but for Halutz to step down.
Former Minister Tzachi HaNegbi is to be indicted on charges of using his position as Minister of the Environment, in 2003-4, to appoint many of his political cronies to various positions. So announced Attorney General Menachem Mazuz today. Hanegbi was one of the last long-time Likud members to jump to Ariel Sharon's Kadima party several months ago.
Related charges to be brought against HaNegbi include breach of trust, election campaign bribery, and false testimony. HaNegbi said he agrees to have his parliamentary immunity removed. "I hope there will not be delays," he said, "and that my full acquittal will be achieved in court. My only sin was presenting candidates for various positions, just as other ministers did for many years."
During one internal Likud election campaign, an ad for HaNegbi boasted that he held the record for most Likud-member appointments. HaNegbi later said that he was not involved with producing the ad, but evidence has been brought to light contesting this claim.
HaNegbi will be replaced as Chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee by rookie MK Otniel Shneller of Kadima. Shneller, an observant Jew from the Yesha community of Michmas, attained notoriety for his support for a withdrawal from Yesha.
Chaim Ramon
Another Kadima Party member - Justice Minister Chaim Ramon, formerly of the Labor Party - was informed today that the police feel they have sufficient evidence to indict him on charges of an indecent act towards a government employee. Attorney General Mazuz having completed his work on the HaNegbi case, will now have to decide whether or not to indict Ramon. Mazuz already cautioned Ramon several weeks ago, following the latter's 7-hour police interrogation, that he must refrain from dealing with certain aspects of his job as Minister of Justice.
IDF Chief Dan Halutz
In yet a third case, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz admitted today, following a report in Maariv, that he gave orders to sell his investment portfolio just three hours after it was learned that two soldiers had been kidnapped in the north.
The abduction of the soldiers was accompanied by the killing of several soldiers, Katyusha rockets against northern towns, government deliberations that later turned into a decision to wage nearly all-out war - and a decision by Halutz, the head of the army, to sell his stocks. His 120,000-shekel portfolio ($27,300) was sold, and in fact the Tel Aviv Stock Exchanged index dropped 8% over the next two days.
Halutz criticized Maariv for what he called its "tendentious and wicked" report. "I do not intend to be dragged into an issue that casts aspersions on my integrity," he said today. "I am a citizen of this country and I have my own farm."
Politicians in the opposition do not agree. MK Gilad Erdan (Likud) said, "The Chief of Staff is not just like everyone else; he is supposed to symbolize the strength of the IDF... It used to be that leaders would ask what they can do for their country, but now apparently they ask what the stock exchange did today."
MK Zevulun Orlev, head of the National Religious Party, went even further, calling upon the Attorney General to investigate the matter. Orlev said he suspects a possible use of insider information, abuse of one's position, and breach of trust.
"We expect that at critical hours," Orlev said, "the Chief of Staff would be spending all his time and all his efforts only in running the war, and not in managing his personal affairs of profits on the stock exchange."
The Jewish Leadership (Manhigut Yehudit) faction of the Likud called for Halutz to be fired: "No commission of inquiry is needed to reveal the ethical rot of one who received his job in order to expel thousands of Jews from their homes [Halutz was appointed Chief of Staff just ten weeks before the expulsion from Gush Katif and northern Shomron - ed.], thus abandoning the State of Israel to an existential threat."
"One who is busy with selling his stocks at the time that he is supposed to be leading the army to war is a person who is corrupt to the core, and is not worthy of heading the Israel Defense Forces," said Manhigut leader Michael Puah.
Unnamed sources in the IDF General Staff said there would probably be no choice but for Halutz to step down.