PM Netanyahu is under a string of criminal corruption investigations. His hand-picked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is actively undermining the investigations. Protest against the AG last Saturday night again ended in detentions This time the production was more elaborate...
Figure: Detention on January 28, near the home of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit
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OccupyTLV, February 04 -- as is the case now in the United States, Spain, France, public protest against governments leads to efforts to suppress public protest...
BACKGROUND: PM Netanyahu, his wife, his son and his cronies are under a string of criminal corruption investigations on suspicions ranging from unlawful receipt of goods/bribes from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan (years of ongoing supply, by request, of quality Cuban cigars for the gentleman and pink champaign for the lady, worth hundreds of thousands NIS), through unlawful receipt of goods/bribes from from cosmetics heir Ron Lauder (Tiffany's (?) jewellery, by request, for the lady), to dubious deals with German shipyards ThyssenKrupp (purchase of nuclear missile-capable submarines and frigates, attempts to privatize Israeli shipyards for their costly maintenance), and shady deals with media magnates (including US-based Sheldon Adelson). Netanyahu's hand-picked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is perceived as actively undermining the investigations and shielding Netanyahu from law enforcement. For example -- Mandelblit withheld from police for about half a year a set of secret recordings of Netanyahu's dealings with media owner Moses, which were seized during search of Ari Harrow - Netanyahu's former chief of staff and one of the suspects in a separate affair. [1]
OFFENSIVE SONG VIDEO: Ending the corruption" ain't gonna let the corrupt AG, judges, police turn me around - based on 60's classic protest song "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round".
JANUARY 14 DETENTION: Single person singing the offensive song in the street, in the rain, across from Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit's residence . [2]
JANUARY 28 EVENT: Event was advertised under the Martin Luther King picture and theme - "Let's fill up the jail-house". [3]
ADVANCE THREAT: On January 27, threat was received by email, purportedly from Israel Police Spokesman. The email falsely claimed that a "Court Decree" had been issued, prohibiting "you and your friends" from demonstrating within 300 meters from the Attorney General's residence. It threatened protesters detention and court action to continue the arrest. The email was immediately recognized as fake, since its routing showed that it came from an anonymous service in the Netherlands and not from a true Israeli government service (confirmed by Siggi, at technical staff of Iceland-based ISP - "1984"). However, the threat was credible, and police action on January 28 followed exactly the threat in the fake email.
ISRAEL CYBER SECURITY AGENCIES REFUSED TO COMMENT: The suspicious police email was reported to the Cyber Security Research Center and by explicit request also to Israel National Cyber Event Readiness Team. The former failed to respond, the latter asked for additional information, then failed to provide a final outcome of the investigation. [4]
DETENTION: As promised, the protesters were detained. This time, a total of 8 were detained. The charges were: Making noise, interference with policeman's performance of his duties and unlawful gathering. Unlawful gathering may result in up to one year prison term. However, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel had previously published a memo, sent to Israel Police and other law enforcement agencies, stating that the use of "unlawful gathering" (which requires intent to commit a crime) in order to prevent lawful protests, lacks any foundation in the law and amounts to deprivation of the right for lawful protest. Later during the night, 2 drunk youngsters joined the detainees, and towards the morning -- about 20 Palestinians, who unlawfully entered Israel, seeking to start a work week in construction. All were crammed into the tiny detention cell (about 7x10 feet).
FAKE COURT HEARING: In contrast with previous detentions, the detainees were not released, but held till the next day and brought to court, where police asked to extend the detention with no credible cause. Towards midday, court hearing was conducted before Judge Shalhevet Kamir-Wiess. Three (3) of the six (6) Defendants were excluded from the court room. Two of the Defendants were falsely represented in such hearing by an attorney without the Defendants' knowledge or consent. In such hearing, as later found in the minutes, such attorney claimed that the protesters were ignorant of the Attorney General's "Right for Privacy". Purportedly, public appearance in the street -- public space -- violated the Attorney General's privacy. Later, when request was filed with Judge Kamier-Wiess to explain the blatant violations of Fair and Public Hearing and of Due Process, she explained that the Defendants were kept out of the courtroom "for lack of space", and that the attorney "told her" prior to the hearing that he was counsel for the Defendants. Israeli law is clear -- counsel must file a certificate by the represented party, or make a statement on the record regarding authorization as counsel. The minutes in this case included no such statement on the record, and obviously there was no certificate of counsel filed. The hearing resulted in purported 14 day restraining order prohibiting the defendants from getting closer than 1,000 meters from the Attorney General's home. However, no duly signed and certified copy of the record could be obtained" [5]
SATURDAY NIGHT, FEBRUARY 04 -- another protest event was announced...
LINKS:
[1] 2017-01-01 World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder Testifies in Netanyahu Gifts Affair. Haaretz
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