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Investigation launched into Netanyahu's wife over harassment claims

Investigation launched into Netanyahu's wife over harassment claims
Well, not *** lot of detail was provided about the specifics of the call between Netanyahu and Trump. But there's enough there that we can kind of read between the lines and understand the critical timing of that conversation and what it tells us about the kind of broader pattern here we know that the Israeli Prime Minister spoke with President Elect Trump about the ongoing negotiations to try and reach *** cease fire and hostage deal. The Israeli Prime Minister himself has said that they spoke about the need to complete Israel's victory but also about the need to free the hostages. And so you can hear in that certainly that the Israeli Prime Minister is trying to make the case for both getting to *** deal, but also perhaps not the war in Gaza altogether until Hamas is completely defeated as he continues to kind of pursue this total victory that he has promised the Israeli public since October 7th of last year. What we also know though is that the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration have been really working quite closely together to try and see if *** deal is achievable and not necessarily that that deal would have to wait until President elect Trump takes the oath of office on January 20th. Rather, when we saw the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan here in Tel Aviv last week, he talked about his hope that through his travels in Israel, but then subsequently to Cairo and to Doha that he could put in place what would be needed to get *** deal by the end of the month. And so that seems to be what all of the parties are racing towards is to see whether or not in the coming weeks, if *** deal can indeed be put together. We heard the Israeli Defense Minister today say in ***, as he was testifying before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the knesset, the Israeli Parliament, that *** deal is quote closer than ever. We have of course heard such such optimistic pronouncements from other officials in the past and Jake Sullivan was very cautious on Friday to say, you know, I've been optimistic before. We thought we were close before and we did not get there. So they don't wanna uh say that *** deal is done until it actually is, but certainly there is cause for optimism and uh the the parties seem to be narrowing uh the gaps, how soon they can actually do that and whether they can get it over the finish line is anyone's guess at this point.
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Investigation launched into Netanyahu's wife over harassment claims
Israel’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and a witness in the Israeli leader’s corruption trial.Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara made the announcement in a terse message late Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the “Uvda” investigative program into Sara Netanyahu.The program uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs. Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organize protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial.The announcement did not mention Mrs. Netanyahu by name, and the Justice Ministry declined further comment.But in a video released earlier Thursday, Netanyahu listed what he said were the many kind and charitable acts by his wife and blasted the Uvda report as “lies.”“My opponents on the left and in the media found a new-old target. They mercilessly attack my wife, Sara,” he said. He called the program ”false propaganda, nasty propaganda that brings up lies from the darkness.”It was the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus — highlighted by the prime minister's ongoing corruption trial. The pair have also had a rocky relationship with the Israeli media.Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favors with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. Netanyahu denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media.The report obtained correspondence between Sara Netanyahu and Hanni Bleiweiss, a former aide to the prime minister who died of cancer last year. The messages indicated that Sara Netanyahu, through Bleiweiss, encouraged police to crack down violently on anti-government protesters and ordered Bleiweiss to organize protests against her husband's critics. She also told Bleiweiss to get activists in Netanyahu's Likud party to publish attacks on Klein.Klein is an aide to billionaire Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and has testified in the corruption case about her role in delivering tens of thousands of dollars worth of champagne, cigars and gifts to Netanyahu for her boss.According to the report, Bleiweiss also was instructed to organize demonstrations outside the homes of the lead prosecutor in the corruption case, Liat Ben-Ari, and then Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who had issued the indictments, and protests and social media campaigns smearing political opponents.According to the report, Bleiweiss was a loyal aid to Netanyahu for decades. But while she was ill, it said Sara Netanyahu mistreated her, prompting her to share the messages with a reporter shortly before her death.Sara Netanyahu has been accused of abusive behavior toward her personal staff before. This, together with accusations of excessive spending and using public money for her own extravagant personal tastes, has earned her an image as being out of touch with everyday Israelis. In 2019, she was fined for misusing state funds.National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees police and has repeatedly said the attorney general, Baharav-Miara, should be fired over a series of grievances against her, said the latest announcement was another reason for her to be dismissed.“Someone who politically persecutes government ministers and their families cannot continue to serve as the attorney general,” he said.And Justice Minister Yariv Levin, another Netanyahu ally and critic of Baharav-Miara, accused her of focusing on “television gossip.”“Selective enforcement is a crime!” he said in a statement.

Israel’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and a witness in the Israeli leader’s corruption trial.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara made the announcement in a terse message late Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the “Uvda” investigative program into Sara Netanyahu.

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The program uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs. Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organize protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial.

The announcement did not mention Mrs. Netanyahu by name, and the Justice Ministry declined further comment.

But in a video released earlier Thursday, Netanyahu listed what he said were the many kind and charitable acts by his wife and blasted the Uvda report as “lies.”

“My opponents on the left and in the media found a new-old target. They mercilessly attack my wife, Sara,” he said. He called the program ”false propaganda, nasty propaganda that brings up lies from the darkness.”

It was the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus — highlighted by the prime minister's ongoing corruption trial. The pair have also had a rocky relationship with the Israeli media.

Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favors with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. Netanyahu denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media.

The report obtained correspondence between Sara Netanyahu and Hanni Bleiweiss, a former aide to the prime minister who died of cancer last year. The messages indicated that Sara Netanyahu, through Bleiweiss, encouraged police to crack down violently on anti-government protesters and ordered Bleiweiss to organize protests against her husband's critics. She also told Bleiweiss to get activists in Netanyahu's Likud party to publish attacks on Klein.

Klein is an aide to billionaire Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and has testified in the corruption case about her role in delivering tens of thousands of dollars worth of champagne, cigars and gifts to Netanyahu for her boss.

According to the report, Bleiweiss also was instructed to organize demonstrations outside the homes of the lead prosecutor in the corruption case, Liat Ben-Ari, and then Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who had issued the indictments, and protests and social media campaigns smearing political opponents.

According to the report, Bleiweiss was a loyal aid to Netanyahu for decades. But while she was ill, it said Sara Netanyahu mistreated her, prompting her to share the messages with a reporter shortly before her death.

Sara Netanyahu has been accused of abusive behavior toward her personal staff before. This, together with accusations of excessive spending and using public money for her own extravagant personal tastes, has earned her an image as being out of touch with everyday Israelis. In 2019, she was fined for misusing state funds.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees police and has repeatedly said the attorney general, Baharav-Miara, should be fired over a series of grievances against her, said the latest announcement was another reason for her to be dismissed.

“Someone who politically persecutes government ministers and their families cannot continue to serve as the attorney general,” he said.

And Justice Minister Yariv Levin, another Netanyahu ally and critic of Baharav-Miara, accused her of focusing on “television gossip.”

“Selective enforcement is a crime!” he said in a statement.