Senior lawyers close to PM detained in ‘subs affair’
Netanyahu has nothing to do with probe, source says
The Israel Police detained David Shimron and another lawyer close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday as part of the “submarines affair.” The two were questioned by the Lahav 433 National Crime Unit about their involvement in the case, officially known as Case 3000.
Police issued a gag order on the name of the second lawyer, who is considered one of the Netanyahu’s closest confidants and someone deeply involved in Israel’s diplomatic activity.
The two were detained in what seems to be the investigation’s third round of questioning. This one comes after police finished questioning state’s witness Miki Ganor in September.
It was reported that at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday police entered the men’s homes, searched for evidence and took the suspects in for questioning, which lasted until late evening.
A senior source close to Netanyahu responded to the arrests by saying: “My suggestion to the media is to take three lemons, make juice out of them and drink it all at once. It will wipe out their wicked smile. Netanyahu has nothing to do with this investigation.”
Case 3000 is a police investigation into Israel’s purchase of German-made submarines and naval vessels. Ganor was the Israeli representative of German shipbuilder Thyssen Krupp and became a state’s witness in the affair in late July.
Ganor’s testimony focused on deals he conducted with the Defense Ministry, but its details are under a gag order. It has been reported that a senior police figure said Ganor provided “great material” for the investigation.
Ganor was detained in the first round of questioning along with former National Security Council deputy head Avriel Bar-Yosef.
In September, police interrogated Netanyahu’s former chief of staff David Sharan and former minister Eliezer “Modi” Zandberg in the second round of questioning in the corruption investigation.
The arrests in the second round also included the inner-circle of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Minister Yuval Steinitz. Among those arrested were his political adviser Rami Tayeb and political strategist Tzachi Lieber.
In July, as details of the fraud investigation initially emerged, Germany postponed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Israel. The German government later approved the sale of three submarines to Israel, despite the ongoing investigations, signing the MoU on October 23.
The deal is worth some €1.5 billion, with 27% subsidized by the German state.
The MoU includes an escape clause that allows Germany to back out of the deal if criminality is found in the behavior of senior decision-makers or officials involved in the decision to purchase the submarines.
Netanyahu is not a suspect in Case 3000, but Channel 2 News reported that he would be summoned for questioning upon returning from his diplomatic trip to London. It has been reported in the past that Netanyahu is expected to be questioned at least four times in the near future.
In August, the court revealed that Netanyahu was suspected of bribery, fraud
and breach of trust.
Netanyahu is involved in two other police investigations: Case 1000 (“the gifts affair”) in which it is suspected that he received expensive gifts from different businessmen; and Case 2000 (“the Israel Hayom affair”), in which the prime minister allegedly negotiated with Arnon “Noni” Mozes for favorable coverage in the newspaper Yediot Aharonot in exchange for his support of a bill to weaken Israel Hayom, the largest circulation Hebrew-language newspaper and Yediot’s bitter competitor. •