Netanyahu accuses Israeli left, media of trying to oust him

[webfact]

Netanyahu accuses Israeli left, media of trying to oust him

By Rami Amichay

 

Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) and his wife Sara react to his supporters during an event by his Likud Party in Tel Aviv, Israel August 9, 2017. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

 

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused his leftist opponents and the country's media on Wednesday of trying to oust his government by pressuring investigators to indict him "at any cost".

 

Netanyahu, 67, has been questioned under caution by police in two cases. "Case 1000" deals with gifts given to him and his family by businessmen, while a second, "Case 2000", is related to conversations he held with an Israeli publisher.

 

Police have also questioned his wife, Sara, over her alleged misuse of official funds. Israeli media said this week that the attorney-general was poised to issue an indictment against her.

 

"The media and the left, which serves it... contrive endless scandals, endless reports and endless headlines so that maybe, maybe something will stick," he told a rally of his right-wing Likud party in a speech broadcast live on the three main Israeli television channels.

 

"They demand from the law-enforcement authorities: 'give us something, doesn't matter what'," Netanyahu told supporters, who waved Israeli flags and chanted his nickname "Bibi, Bibi".

 

"The left's and the media's ... aim is to put pressure, which is wrong, on the law enforcement authorities to bring an indictment at any cost, without any connection to the truth, without any connection to justice."

 

Netanyahu, who last won an election in 2015, has weathered several scandals and police inquiries during his 11 years in office. His approval ratings are generally solid, putting him ahead of potential challengers.

 

The Israeli leader has described the din of criminal investigations around him as "background noise" and has dismissed speculation he will be forced to resign by saying simply on Facebook this week: "Won't happen." [nL5N1KV2MA]

 

He quipped in his speech that there were rumours that even his family dog, Kaia, would be called in for questioning.

 

Case 1,000 involves Netanyahu and family members receiving gifts on a regular basis from two businessmen. Israeli media have reported that the gifts included cigars and champagne.

 

Case 2,000 involves a deal Netanyahu allegedly discussed with the owner of one of Israel's largest newspapers, Yedioth Ahronoth, for better coverage in return for curbs on competition from a free paper owned by U.S. casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. The latter paper has long supported the prime minister.

 

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.

 

In his speech on Wednesday Netanyahu also accused Palestinian officials of seeking his demise but said he would not yield to their demands for Israeli concessions in peace talks that have been frozen since 2014.

 

"My friends, they too will be disappointed, because it won't happen," he said.

 

(Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Gareth Jones)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-10

[rudi49jr]

The usual right-wing rhetoric, that everyone who is against him is a terrorist. Erdogan does it, Assad has been doing it for a long time, so why not use the same kind of kind of nonsense?

[ezzra]

48 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

The usual right-wing rhetoric, that everyone who is against him is a terrorist. Erdogan does it, Assad has been doing it for a long time, so why not use the same kind of kind of nonsense?

 

You're comparing apples with oranges, what a so called left has to do with madmen

directorates such Erodagan and Assad and Khamenie  of Iran has to do with 

 in-house honesty issues?.... should he be found to be guilty in any of the above

he will be judged for it, unlike the above that are killing their own citizens by the 

thousand and still in power....

[tonray]

1 hour ago, rudi49jr said:

The usual right-wing rhetoric, that everyone who is against him is a terrorist. Erdogan does it, Assad has been doing it for a long time, so why not use the same kind of kind of nonsense?

Let's not forgot Donnie boy

[Thorgal]

Sooner or later he will arrive and stay for a while in Den Hague without Cohibas and without Haagen Dasz...


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Golgota]

Let's not forget he is looking for such things.

10 days ago he boasted about being the first one to have done so much for settlements!

[Morch]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

 

You're comparing apples with oranges, what a so called left has to do with madmen

directorates such Erodagan and Assad and Khamenie  of Iran has to do with 

 in-house honesty issues?.... should he be found to be guilty in any of the above

he will be judged for it, unlike the above that are killing their own citizens by the 

thousand and still in power....

 

Yes, it's not quite as bad as Turkey, Iran etc. A more apt example would be Trump, as already pointed out.

 

The essential tactic is similar - when political survival is at stake, blame the media, blame the messenger, blame the opposition. Make it into a conspiracy, a move aimed at unlawful regime change.

 

In order for innocence or guilt to be established, there needs to be an investigation, followed (if appropriate) by a trial. What Netanyahu and his cohorts are doing is trying to discredit an ongoing investigation by alleging it is politically motivated. That this might very well be true, doesn't bear on Netatnyahu's conduct, though. Considering the AG, Chief of Police, and all relevant ministers are are his own people, it does smack of trying to subvert justice.

 

Quite a few Israeli politicians' careers ended or suffered set backs for a whole lot less. And, of course, it was Netanyahu himself who opined (when the shoe was on the other foot) that a Prime Minister ought to resign under such circumstances. Again, some parallels can be drawn to Trump's conduct.

[Morch]

2 hours ago, Golgota said:

Let's not forget he is looking for such things.

10 days ago he boasted about being the first one to have done so much for settlements!

No idea what "such things" references.

Boasting and highlighting right wing credentials is to be expected, as he tries to rally supporters, and in light of recent political setbacks.

[Rancid]

One can only hope that at least someone is opposed to that psychopath.

[Morch]

22 minutes ago, Rancid said:

One can only hope that at least someone is opposed to that psychopath.

 

Do you imagine he'd be under investigation etc. if this wasn't the case?

 

[Jonnapat]

Oust him by all means, he's a right wing zealot.

[Jingthing]

He's probably right, and they probably should.

As the trump says, we'll see what happens! 

 

(Support for the existence and defense of Israel does not need to mean support for Bibi or right wing dominance of the government there.)

Edited August 10, 2017 by Jingthing

[Morch]

8 minutes ago, Jonnapat said:

Oust him by all means, he's a right wing zealot.

 

That's assuming no one worse replaces him....

[cream]

I think the most Evil Man on the planet, yet last year (2016) Obama finalized a deal to give Israel $38 Billion in Military Aid over the next 10 years.

With the current USA 20 Trillion dollar debt bill it amazes me. 

USA tax payers are being screwed over bigtime. 

 

[Morch]

1 hour ago, cream said:

I think the most Evil Man on the planet, yet last year (2016) Obama finalized a deal to give Israel $38 Billion in Military Aid over the next 10 years.

With the current USA 20 Trillion dollar debt bill it amazes me. 

USA tax payers are being screwed over bigtime. 

 

 

Hyperbole and off-topic deflection.

 

Netanyahu is hardly the "most evil man on the planet", not by a long-shot. Some contenders right across the border, though, and a bit beyond. That's without widening the scope much, even.

 

As for the off-topic deflection - all them funds are to be spent in the US, buying from US firms employing US workers. One may or may not agree with the politics, but that's a different issue - one which was discussed on plenty an appropriate topic.