Netanyahu’s attorney complains PM being prosecuted as if guilty of ‘Nazi’ crimes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attorney on Monday implicitly compared the premier’s upcoming corruption trial to the prosecution of Nazi war criminals following the end of World War II.
“We are facing at least 20 prosecutors, the attorney general and an investigative power as if we’re talking about crimes against the Nazis,” Yossi Cohen complained to Supreme Court President Esther Hayut during a pre-trial hearing on Monday, Channel 13 reported.
He likely meant prosecution against the Nazis.
Last May, Hayut expressed implied criticism of judicial reforms planned by Netanyahu and cited the Nazi takeover of Germany in the 1930 during a speech in Nuremberg.
“History is not repeating itself,” Hayut clarified at an event hosted by the Israeli German Lawyers Association, “but it gives us the opportunity to learn from it and enables us to see patterns and judge for ourselves.”
At the time, the prime minister was believed to be planning to promote a bill that would allow the Knesset to ignore the Supreme Court’s administrative rulings, and would also permit parliament to resubmit laws that had been struck down by the court in the past.
“One of the universal lessons we should learn from the historical events I mentioned is that judicial independence, on the institutional and personal level, is one of the most important guarantees that the individual has an address to turn to to protect their rights,” Hayut said in her speech.
Netanyahu’s trial is slated to begin on May 24. He faces criminal charges in three criminal cases: fraud and breach of trust in Cases 1000 and 2000, and bribery, fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000.
Case 1000 involves accusations that Netanyahu received gifts and benefits from billionaire benefactors including Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for favors.
Case 2000 involves accusations that Netanyahu agreed with Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper publisher Arnon Mozes to weaken a rival daily in return for more favorable coverage from Yedioth.
Case 4000, widely seen as the most serious against the premier, involves accusations that Netanyahu advanced regulatory decisions that benefited Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder in the Bezeq telecom giant, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, in exchange for positive coverage from its Walla news site.
Michael Bachner contributed to this report.