Police question National Security Adviser Hanegbi on suspicion of 2017 bribe
Then-regional cooperation minister accused of taking NIS 10,000 to write recommendation letter for planned Jerusalem airport; Hanegbi denies allegation, PM distances himself
National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi was questioned by police at his home on Sunday on suspicion of receiving a bribe in 2017, Hebrew media reported Wednesday.
He is alleged to have illegally received NIS 10,000 ($2,700) when he was regional cooperation minister from Australian businessman Kevin Burmeister and entrepreneur Amnon Ribek for writing a recommendation letter to help their plans to build a Jerusalem airport, the Ynet news site reported.
The transfer of funds was allegedly arranged over WhatsApp. According to texts reported by Ynet, Burmeister asked Ribek if the money transfer had been rejected.
“Tzachi got the money from me, I will get a letter from Hanegbi,” Ribek responded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office put out a statement saying: “This is an investigation that is not related to the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Council, and relates to the publication of an event from seven years ago.”
Two other investigations have been opened recently into members of Netanyahu’s office.
A statement from Hanegbi said that the claim “was raised as part of a civil dispute between businessmen and was published two years ago.”
Hanegbi said he had “already denied these claims as soon as they were published and gave [my] version to the police as well.”
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a watchdog group, called on Netanyahu to immediately suspend Hanegbi, saying the investigation against him raises suspicions that he has abused his public position for personal interests.
“At this time, when the country is at war and the National Security Council is making fateful decisions, it is unreasonable for the person who heads to be someone under investigation for bribery,” the organization said, adding that the Israeli public “deserves honest elected officials who act for the public interest alone.”
Earlier Wednesday, a judge allowed the release of the fact that police’s Lahav 433 unit was “conducting a criminal probe related to incidents from the start of the war, including several open investigations.” Lahav 433 investigates serious crimes including public corruption.
There is a gag order on most details of the probe, but Ynet said the news is related to reports earlier in the year that authorities suspected attempts had been made to change wartime cabinet protocols.
In another major case, police are investigating suspected leaks of classified information by an associate of Netanyahu.
Eli Feldstein, a spokesperson working with the Prime Minister’s Office, is accused of divulging top-secret information with national security implications to European media outlets, according to a ruling published Sunday evening by Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court head Menahem Mizrahi.
The names of three other suspects remain gagged by the court, but it confirmed that they were connected to the defense establishment.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
