Ex-deputy calls to investigate if Liberman linked to Manafort case

Former deputy defense minister Danny Ayalon calls for Israeli authorities to investigate who, according to US court papers, coordinated with Paul Manafort to tarnish the reputation of a Ukrainian political leader on behalf of Russia, following reports suggesting that “senior Israeli government official” was Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman.

The campaign against Ukrainian politician Yulia Tymoshenko and her supporters was designed to benefit Manafort’s client, the then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and the pro-Russian Party of Regions, and  pressure the Obama administration to turn against her, according to US court documents filed against Manafort on Friday.

The indictment against Manafort did not name the Israeli official, but speculation in Israel has mounted that it could have been Liberman.

Speaking with Haaretz, Ayalon, who served under the then foreign minister Liberman when the Foreign Ministry issued a statement noting that Tymoshenko’s party had allied with an anti-Semitic party in October 2012 (Russian text), described the incident as “strange” and said Israelis deserved to know whether it was linked to the charges against Manafort.

“This is of interest to the Israeli public and to [Israel’s] security. The Israeli government has the means to obtain the information and know who is involved,” Ayalon says. “It’s true that according to American court protocol the names of those who are not charged are not published, but this case has nothing to do with American court rulings because this is not an American citizen.”

— Raoul Wootliff