Submarine Affair Shows How Netanyahu Imposed His Will on ’Israel’s’ War Establishment

Local Editor

On the issue of "Israeli" submarine affairs, Amos Harel wrote for Haaretz:
Following several days' unnecessary delay, and despite efforts by the Zionist Prime Minister's Office to prevent it, Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit made the required decision on Wednesday to open a police inquiry into "Israel's" acquisition of submarines and gunboats.

Earlier this week, Mendelblit insisted an investigation was unwarranted. The "Justice" Ministry explained his U-turn with a laconic statement about "new information received by the police today." Nevertheless, this is still just an inquiry - that preliminary check invented especially for suspicions about the prime minister and other well-connected people.

Mendelblit's decision came several hours after the Movement for Quality Government in "Israel" petitioned the High Court of Justice to demand that he launch an investigation, amid growing questions by jurists as to why he was tarrying.

Meanwhile, the stream of media revelations about the involvement of David Shimron, Netanyahu's personal attorney, in the submarine purchase and his connections with the German shipyard ThyssenKrupp raised suspicions of conflicts of interest in Netanyahu's inner circle.

"Israeli" Channel 10's report this week that Shimron had spoken with War Ministry adviser Ahaz Ben-Ari about the missile boat tender presumably left Mendelblit with little choice. Once Ben-Ari's email reporting the incident in real time was discovered, it became hard to accept Shimron's and Netanyahu's denials.

Nevertheless, as Haaretz reported last week, it seems the new suspicions are also connected to a different issue, which is already the subject of a criminal investigation: Suspicions of bribe-taking and breach of trust by Brig. Gen. Avriel Bar-Yosef, whom Netanyahu almost appointed as head of the National "Security" Council.

Bar-Yosef is suspected of bribery in relation to the government's deal with the natural gas companies, but he was also involved in purchases by the navy, and was close to some of the people involved buying submarines and missile ships from Germany.

The opening of a police inquiry doesn't ensure the truth will come to light. Nevertheless, there are critical questions that must be answered: Wasn't there a conflict of interests between Shimron's work for ThyssenKrupp's "Israeli" representative and his work for Netanyahu, for which his fee has never been disclosed? Did he really tell Netanyahu nothing about the matter, as both men claim? Was the prime minister really unaware of it? Were the entity's secrets utilized to earn huge profits for private settlers, including former senior officers?

Source: Haaretz, Edited by website team