Tell me – Egyptian actress Ilham Shaheen revealed that the director of the office of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi threatened her to agree to meet him, but she refused.
Shaheen said during a television interview, that she “decided to confront the battle with the terrorist Brotherhood on behalf of the artists.”
She added: “The Brotherhood fabricated pictures of her and put her face on scandalous photos, and it was later proven that they were rigged.”
She pointed out, “She obtained a historical ruling to close the (Al-Hafiz) channel for a period of 6 months, and a precedent took place for the first time in the history of Egypt, which is the closure of a channel by court ruling, after she filed more than one case on the channel for insulting her on the channel’s screen, pointing out that the broadcaster who had insulted her accompanied A number of veils on the channel’s screen showed her some forged images that were falsely claimed to be a professor at Al-Azhar, but Al-Azhar University sent to the court evidence that he was not a faculty member and was imprisoned during the Morsi era.
She stressed that “Mohamed Morsi tried to attract the artists and act with politeness with them, but it did not succeed, stressing that the director of Morsi’s office tried to contact her a lot to inform her of Morsi’s desire to meet her.”
She explained that the director of Morsi’s office threatened her, saying: “If we want we, we will answer you,” adding that she said to him, “If you talk to me again, he will report about you,” and his response would be, “You are reporting about who, O Madam, we are the state.”
She stated that she had told Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi after the success of the June 30 revolution, that “she was about to commit suicide” at the time of Chancellor Adly Mansour taking over the country after the Brotherhood was overthrown, pointing out that the Egyptians dazzled the world on June 30.
Mohamed Morsi had assumed his duties on June 30, 2012, and he was removed from his position on June 30, 2013 after demonstrations invaded the country calling for his departure and imprisonment since the date of his isolation, until his death on June 17, 2019, after several charges were brought against him, including communications with Qatar, Hamas, and disclosure. National Security secrets during his presidency
Iran has issued an arrest warrant and asked Interpol for help in detaining US President Donald Trump and others he considers responsible for the attack that killed an Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr has accused Trump and more than 30 others of his involvement in the airstrike drone attack on January 3, which killed the general in Baghdad, Iraq.
Apart from Trump, prosecutor Alquasimehr does not mention any other name, but stressed that Iran will continue to develop the prosecution process against those responsible for the attack, saying that they face charges of “murder and terrorism”, according to the state news agency IRNA .
Interpol, based in Lyon, France, has not yet responded to requests for comment on this request from Iranian justice.
According to the IRNA, Alqasimehr asked Interpol to put a “red warning” on Donald Trump and the rest of the elements, which represents the highest degree of urgency in the capture.
According to Interpol procedures, if this request is accepted, the local police authorities will have to carry out the arrest, on behalf of the country requesting it.
The warnings, however, cannot force local authorities to carry out these arrests or to extradite the suspects, although they can lift restrictions on the movements of these suspects.
After receiving a request, Interpol meets in a committee to discuss whether or not to share the information with its member states, with no need to publicly disclose any notice (although it regularly does so, through its website).
In view of the type of request made by the Iranian judicial authorities, Interpol is unlikely to comply with Iran’s request, as its guidance prohibits the organization from carrying out interventions or activities of a political or military nature, as will be the case with this attack on Bagdad.
The United States carried out an air strike in Baghdad on January 3, which killed Qassem Soleimani, the powerful general who directed the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its activities in Iraq, increasing tensions between the two countries, driving Iranian forces to retaliate with a ballistic missile attack against American troops in the region.
Uber said today, Monday, that it decided to stop the service of Uber Eats in the Middle East.
“This decision will allow us to focus efforts and resources on other Uber Eats markets around the world,” the company spokesman said in an official statement obtained by Masrawy.
“We look forward to continuing our commitment to growth and investment in the Uber transportation platform in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East,” he added.
Facebook has introduced a new “reaction” in Italy, namely the emoji with which it is possible to show appreciation for posts, videos and comments on the social network. This is the embrace, which goes alongside the classic upward thumb, the heart, the laughter and the amazed, sad and angry faces.
The arrival of the emoji was announced two weeks ago on Twitter by Alexandru Voica, Facebook manager for the Emea region (Europe, Middle East and Africa), who had described the pictogram as a tool to “support each other in this unprecedented period. “
“Even if we are far apart, we will do it together,” reads the message that appears by selecting the emoji on Facebook. The goal is to enable users to “convey even more affection in this time when many of us are far apart”.
Tehran celebrates the launch of its first military satellite, increasing recent tensions with the United States. Washington plans to call the US Security Council.
Iran’s space program has suffered some setbacks recently. Last August, a launcher exploded at launch for mysterious reasons. In February, the attempt to launch a communications satellite into orbit also failed two other attempts last year. There was speculation about sabotage; Current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as head of the CIA, had ordered that a program be accelerated. US President Donald Trump fired them up with malicious tweets. However, on Thursday, the U.S. military confirmed that Iran has launched its first military satellite into orbit. The Revolutionary Guards fired the three-stage launch vehicle on Wednesday – apparently without the preparations for launch having been discovered beforehand.
Trump threatens Iran with the destruction of gunboats
In Iran, the start is celebrated as a “great achievement” in the middle of the corona crisis that hit the country hard. The successful satellite launch is said to rehabilitate the air force of the military’s elite unit, which is responsible for the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane on January 8. At that time, 176 people were on board. Air defense had assumed that the plane launched in Tehran was a US cruise missile after the military exchange of blows with the United States over the killing of General Qassem Soleimani. The tensions between the Islamic Republic and the USA are already reaching the fateful level of the time – the rocket launch is only the last episode of the escalation.
About the capabilities of the military satellite called JustHardly anything is known. The intelligence services should pay more attention to the anyway Qased– Aim the launcher. It had been fired from a mobile launch pad. According to the Revolutionary Guard, it also combines engines that run on liquid and solid fuels. Solid rockets are considered more suitable for military purposes because they do not need to be refueled. A mobile system is also more difficult to discover.
The technology used for a satellite launch is also suitable for use in ballistic missiles, and Iran seems to be making significant progress in its development. In 2011, the military development of solid rockets in Iran was slowed down by an explosion at a Revolutionary Guard base, killing General Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, their chief. The Revolutionary Guards spoke of an accident at the time, but many indications indicated an air raid.
US Secretary of State Pompeo announced that he would hold Iran accountable for the satellite launch. This runs counter to a UN Security Council resolution that prohibits the Islamic Republic from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Iran argues that it has never worked on developing nuclear weapons – which is doubtful. Pompeo announced that it would call the UN Security Council. In the past, the EU and the federal government have condemned such rocket launches and viewed them as a breach of the UN resolution.
The commander of the Revolutionary Guards announced attacks on US warships
Almost simultaneously with the launch of the rocket in the central Iranian desert, US President Trump fired a broadside against Iran on Twitter: he had instructed the Navy to “shoot down and destroy every and every Iranian gunboat” that is bothering US ships at sea. He was referring to an incident in which, according to the U.S. Navy a week ago, eleven Revolutionary Guard speedboats in the northern Persian Gulf had pressed a U.S. Coast Guard boat and warships and were approaching the coast guard boat within ten meters.
The Revolutionary Guard commander, Hossein Salami, has announced attacks on U.S. warships in response to threats to Iranian ships. Last week, the Revolutionary Guards boarded an anchored oil tanker flying the Hong Kong flag. They ordered the crew to enter Iranian waters, but released the ship after an inspection.
Similar provocations had fueled tensions in the Gulf last year. In Iraq, there have been repeated attacks on American targets over the past few weeks, for which Shiite militias controlled by Iran are held responsible. In response to such attacks, Trump ordered the drone attack on General Soleimani in Baghdad in January.
Meanwhile, the United States is blocking a Tehran loan request from the International Monetary Fund. The regime has said it has asked for $ 5 billion to help fight the corona epidemic. So far, according to official information, there are more than 87,000 infected and almost 5,500 dead in Iran. The US argues that Iran will use the money for destabilizing military activities and therefore rejects any easing of the sanctions.
The first trial against two alleged torturers of the Assad regime begins in Koblenz. The indictment is based on testimony from victim witnesses.
The co-plaintiffs speak to the press after the first day of the trial in the Koblenz courthouse Photo: Thomas Frey / dpa
KOBLENZtaz | Jasper Klinger stands in front of a huge window, behind it trees in fresh green and a sky with no clouds to be seen. The spring sun, you can tell from these mornings, will bring a warm day. But when Klinger begins to speak, the chill spreads indoors in the hall where Klinger is standing in front of the window. Klinger is a senior prosecutor at the federal prosecutor’s office and is now starting to read out an indictment that has never existed before. Not in Germany and not worldwide.
“I’m accusing,” says Klinger now, and then he talks about crimes against humanity, 58-fold murder and torture in at least 4,000 cases, rape and sexual assault. For the first time, alleged torturers from the regime of Syria’s ruler Bashar al-Assad have to answer in court. Here in hall 128, Koblenz Higher Regional Court, State Protection Senate.
The two accused sit on the other side of the hall. Anwar R., 57, glasses, gray mustache. The main defendant keeps himself upright, even when the camera teams are allowed to film before the trial begins, he does not hide. Eyad A., the 43-year-old co-accused, completely hid himself in his hood because because he is the only one involved in the trial to wear a mask, you don’t see much of him, even when he has to take off his headgear. Eyad A. is on trial here for aiding and abetting crimes against humanity, but he’s a little fish compared to Anwar R.
According to Federal Attorney Klinger, both of the accused belonged to the Syrian General Secret Service and were part of the notorious division 251, which was responsible for security in Damascus and the surrounding area. When there was increased criticism of the Assad regime in Syria in 2011, the Syrian secret services and the military had acted increasingly brutally against actual or alleged opposition figures. A large number of these ended up in prisons operated by secret services and military police across the country. “In the detention facilities, the inmates were tortured consistently in a massive manner,” says the federal prosecutor. Anwar R., Klinger continues reading from the indictment, headed the investigation department in section 251, including an attached prison, which is called “al-Khatib” and is located in the center of Damascus.
The defendant Eyad A. hides his face under a hood Photo: Thomas Lohnes / reuters
What Klinger and his colleague are reading out is difficult to bear. They list 24 individual cases of victims of torture, numbered one after the other. According to the indictment, all of them have been beaten, with hoses, cables, sticks, belts, some even with metal pipes, often on the soles of their feet, which are particularly sensitive, or in the genitals. Many received electric shocks. Some were forced into car tires and then beaten, others strapped to a chair, the back of which was bent so far that the back stretched out. Prisoners were hung from the ceiling with their hands so that only the tips of their toes touch the floor. A woman was then grabbed by the breasts and between the legs, a man was inserted a stick in the anus. And they all heard the cries of the other tortured.
Inhumane and degrading conditions also prevailed in al-Khatib, the accusation continues: inedible food, refused personal hygiene, no medical care, only one toilet a day. The cells are said to have been so crowded that there was no place to sit down or even lie down, some of the prisoners had to sleep while standing.
Anwar R. was in charge of the interrogators and was the military superior of the prison staff, the indictment continues. In the period between April 29, 2011 and September 7, 2012, at least 4,000 prisoners were tortured during the entire duration of the detention, and at least 58 people, Klinger says, died during this time from the consequences of the abuse. Anwar R. divided the officers and monitored their deployment. During the entire period of the crime, he was aware of the extent of the torture, including the fact that prisoners had died as a result of the massive violence.
Six men and their lawyers sit in room 128 between the accused and the accused, six men who have survived this agony in al-Khatib. You testified at the federal prosecutor’s office and appear as a co-plaintiff in the process. Now they are just a few meters away from their alleged former tormentor and hear not only about their own fate, but also that of many others. “It is terrible to hear all of this,” says Ferras Fayyad, one of them, later when the first day of the trial is over. But the process is very important, not only for him, but for all victims. “We want the truth to be exposed here about the systematic torture in Syria that is still going on today,” said Hussein Ghree, another co-plaintiff.
“We have heard 24 stories about 24 people, the worst mistreatment under the most inhumane conditions,” emphasizes lawyer Patrick Kroker, who, together with a colleague, represents Ghree and other co-plaintiffs. “It was hard to bear even for us.” But it was all the more important, “that the two accused must listen to these allegations in detail – story by story of 24 people who represent many, many more.” Kroker is a Syria expert at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) in Berlin, which has worked with Syrian lawyers, witnesses and survivors for years. The center has filed several criminal charges for systematic torture in Syria since 2016 – not only in Germany but also in other European countries.
The main accused Anwar R. Photo: Thomas Lohnes / reuters
War crimes committed by the Syrian regime have so far remained unpunished. Because of the Russian veto in the World Security Council, they cannot be brought before the international criminal court in The Hague or before a special tribunal. At present, only persecution under international criminal law remains at the national level.
This is possible in Germany because the so-called world law principle has been anchored in the German International Criminal Law since 2002. Since then, the judiciary has been able to prosecute crimes against humanity even when the perpetrators and victims are not German. The proceedings against Anwar R. and his co-defendants are not the only ones. Around 20 investigations against former Syrian regime officials have been initiated since 2014. The most prominent case is Jamil Hassan, the former head of Syrian Air Force intelligence, against whom the Federal Court of Justice issued an international arrest warrant in 2018.
Anwar R. claims to have undergone an amazing change of will shortly before Christmas 2012. He then fled to Jordan with his family and then advised the Syrian resistance. In summer 2014 he moved to Germany, applied for asylum and settled in the north of Berlin. But he felt persecuted and went to the police. He told the officials that he felt threatened by the Syrian and Russian secret services and also that he was part of the Syrian system. The Attorney General initiated an investigation. Anwar R. has been in custody since February last year.
So far he has not admitted his guilt. His lawyer announced on Thursday that R. would like to make a written statement, not only about himself, but also about the allegations. Possibly in the coming week. The process will continue on Friday.
It’s a historic first. This Thursday, April 23, opened in Koblenz, Germany, a trial eagerly awaited by the many families of the victims of the Bashar al-Assad regime: that of two former members of the Syrian intelligence services accused of crimes against humanity. Anwar Raslan, the main suspect, is accused of complicity in the torture of more than 4,000 detainees. This ex-colonel directed a prison in Damascus where many people arrested for simply participating in demonstrations demanding freedom and democracy suffered from April 2011 to September 2012 torture: punches, sticks, cables or whipping, electroshock, sleep deprivation for several days, sexual abuse …
According to the German federal prosecutor’s office, at least 54 people have died as a result of this abuse. Eyad al-Gharib, the second defendant, who worked under the authority of Anwar Raslan, is accused of having, in autumn 2011, participated in the arrest and the torture “At least 30 people”, during a demonstration in Douma, a rebel stronghold located in the outskirts of Damascus.
50 m² cells for 140 prisoners
The two men, who declined to speak, fled Syria in 2012 and 2013 respectively, fearing reprisals by anti-Assad fighters from the Free Syrian Army (ASL). The first arrived in Germany as refugees in 2014, and the second in 2018. Their arrest was made possible across the Rhine under the principle of “Universal jurisdiction”, applied by Germany – and also by France – which allows a state to prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity regardless of their nationality.
The first hearing, which opened at 10 a.m., lasted about 1.5 hours, according to Anna Oehmichen, the lawyer for one of the survivors who was present in the room. The session was an opportunity for prosecutor Jasper Klinge to review the conditions of detention “Inhuman” from prison “251, located in the north of Baghdad Street, in Damascus”.
Placed like the rest of the room behind a plexiglass window, because of coronavirus, Jasper Klinge described cells of “50 m² in which 140 prisoners clustered in incredible heat”, returning to the central role of the intelligence services in the bloody repression of the anti-Assad uprising of March 2011. In front of six of the many victims who took civil action, he also spoke of the electric shocks suffered by the detainees, including on a woman, also raped during interrogation.
This hearing will reveal the structure of the regime and the system of torture. It is important that all of this is exposed to the world.
Anwar al-Bunni, Syrian lawyer incarcerated in the jails of the regime from 2006 to 2011
This unprecedented trial represents a turning point in the long struggle of Syrian democratic activists for the start of justice. For Syrian lawyer Anwar al-Bunni, incarcerated in the jails of the regime from 2006 to 2011, this hearing constitutes “An important message” addressed to Syrian leaders and their implementers. “It will reveal the structure of the regime and the system of torture. It’s important that all of this is exposed to the world ”, he said a few days ago during a press conference held by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR).
“The purpose of this trial is to reveal the truth. Hopefully it will help put an end to impunity (of torturers). Even if the main culprits are not part of this trial, it is of symbolic importance ”, says lawyer Anna Oehmichen, who also collaborates with the Open Society foundation. “At a time when the Syrians feel that the international community has failed them, this trial rekindles the hope that justice will be done to some extent. All Victims and Families of Victims Have the Right to Truth, Reparation and Justice ”, insists Lynn Maalouf, director of research for the Middle East at Amnesty International. The trial, whose second hearing will be held on Friday, could last several months, even several years, experts say.
It looks like the US and Belarus are back in business. And that literally. While the dispute between Minsk and Moscow over gas and oil prices continues, Washington had made targeted contact with Minsk. And as Trump now suggests, normalization of relations between the two countries is imminent: According to his words, the United States will send career diplomat Julie Fisher to Minsk as an ambassador.
This is a fresh start after a long pause: since 2008, both countries had only maintained diplomatic contacts at civil servant level. At the time, Minsk had called for the reduction of US embassy staff after the US imposed sanctions. And again after the regime in Minsk suppressed protests surrounding the 2006 presidential election, which was accompanied by massive allegations of counterfeiting.
Julie Fisher’s current appointment is the logical consequence of an approach that has been emerging for six months. While Russia increased the pressure on Belarus massively, to agree to a deeper integration of Belarus into a confederation with Russia, increased oil and gas prices and did not permanently renew contracts, it was the United States who – not entirely unselfishly – rushed to the aid. At first, it was announced that the embassies of both countries would start up again in their respective countries. This was followed by a visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Minsk in February, all of which was accompanied by offers from the United States to compensate for missing oil and gas supplies from Russia.
Julie Fisher appears a suitable candidate for the job in Minsk. She has worked at the US embassies in Kyiv, Tbilisi and Moscow and knows the dynamics of the region. Most recently, she was the deputy head of the U.S. mission to NATO. When the hearings for her appointment will take place is unclear due to the corona pandemic. And therefore also not exactly when she will take over her post.
However, one thing is noteworthy about Julie Fisher’s appointment: her husband, Daniel Shapiro, was Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama as US Ambassador to Israel, who was immediately removed after Trump took office. However, this was not an outgrowth of personal animosity: Trump had then removed all politically occupied ambassadors.
The couple is affiliated to Israel tiLef and still maintains good contacts in the region. Last but not least about belief: the couple belongs to the conservative Jewish Adas Israel Congregation. At the same time, Shapiro is still working at the Institute for National Security Studies. And then there are the personal contacts: Shapiro and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are said to have a friendly relationship.
The job in Minsk is tricky. Human rights violations, massive restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of association are part of everyday life in Belarus. President Alexander Lukashenko does not tolerate any competition. During his visit to Minsk in February, Mike Pompeo had said that while efforts to improve political and economic relations would continue to demand human rights. With the increase in the message, there is again the full tool for this. And as a member of the Belarusian civil society thinks: One will carefully observe which initiatives and to what extent the USA will support financially in the future – and how the balancing act between criticism and economic rapprochement will take place.
It was high time that Israel got a regular government. But Netanyahu’s power streak was undignified.
With Gantz’s help: Bibi did it again, here on the election evening of March 3rd Photo: Ilia Yefimovich / dpa
It is an emergency government in two ways: Israel’s new “unity government”, which Benjamin Netanyahu and his former challenger Benny Gantz have agreed on, finally leads the country out of the political crisis after one and a half years. At the same time, however, no one wanted this grand coalition, neither the voters nor Netanyahu or Gantz, who had pledged to finally replace the long-term premiere, which had been plagued by a corruption process.
So now Netanyahu remains prime minister before he is to become Vice Prime Minister under Gantz from October 2021. It is imperative that Israel get a government again. A fourth parliamentary election in just over a year would have been an imposition for all citizens. And in times like the corona crisis, you need a government capable of action and – at least as important – a strong and orderly opposition that does not look at possible government participation.
But whoever claims that it was nothing and the tough government formation only a proof of the functioning democracy does not see: The undignified trade of power Netanyahu and also the surprising and shocking turnaround of Gantz for many of his followers have caused damage. Of course, Israel has not turned into an authoritarian system, but it suffered, the only democracy in the Middle East.
Netanyahu has made it clear in recent months that his own career and freedom are more important than strong, independent democratic institutions and decent political discourse. The prime minister has declared war on the supreme court and has mercilessly dragged his political opponents into the dirt.
Most recently, he demanded greater influence in the appointment of judges – openly and in the knowledge that the trial against him could soon come to the Supreme Court. Gantz also knew that the upcoming trial was Netanyahu’s Achilles’ heel, who had threatened to push ahead with a law that would have prohibited a member on charges of being elected prime minister after another election. It would have been Netanyahu’s end.
Does Netanyahu believe in his innocence?
The Netanyahu process is scheduled to begin on May 24th. But Netanyahu will remain prime, thanks to Gantz and his Knesset faction. It is the first time that an incumbent head of government is on the dock. The Attorney General accuses him of fraud, unfaithfulness and bribery. It’s about influencing the media, crooked business and political favors.
Of course, the presumption of innocence also applies to Netanyahu, but the suspicion of corruption is serious, otherwise the process would not have been opened. And obviously Netanyahu himself does not believe that he will ultimately be cleared of all allegations. This has shown his desperate cling to power in recent months – because it will continue to be the best way for Netanyahu to protect himself from the judiciary. It will be interesting to see which maneuvers the Prime Minister or later Vice Prime Minister will come up with in the coming years.
Opposition Gantz had long rejected an alliance with Netanyahu’s Likud over the Prime Minister’s corruption suit. Now the politicians agreed.
The agreement between the two parties ends months of political standstill in Israel Photo: ap
JERUSALEMdpa | Israeli right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his opposition rival Benny Gantz have agreed to form a grand coalition. An agreement for a “national emergency government” is currently being signed, Netanyahu’s Likud party and Gantz’s mid-alliance blue and white announced on Monday.
According to media reports, the grand coalition envisages a rotation in the office of prime minister. Netanyahu is said to be the first to hold office for a year and a half and then to be replaced by Gantz. The controversial agreement is intended to end a standoff between Netanyahu’s right-religious block and the center-left camp around Gantz, which has been going on for more than a year. Both sides have stressed that a large coalition is necessary in the face of the Corona crisis.
The negotiations had always stalled. Blau-Weiß had recently threatened that without an agreement, a law would be introduced in Parliament on Monday to prevent Netanyahu from being commissioned to form a government in the future on charges of corruption against him. On Sunday evening, thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv against Netanyahu and, from their perspective, anti-democratic measures in the fight against the corona virus.
A central issue in the coalition negotiations, according to media reports, was Netanyahu’s Likud party’s call for a veto right over judges. Netanyahu also wanted to ensure in the event of a Supreme Court decision that he could not serve as Prime Minister or Vice Prime Minister on a corruption charge. He said he called for a mechanism to circumvent such a judgment as part of the coalition agreement.
Transitional government since late 2018
Gantz’s mandate to form a government expired on Wednesday evening after an extension. President Reuven Rivlin then gave the mandate to Parliament. Within three weeks, each MP – including Gantz and Netanyahu – was able to secure the support of 61 of the 120 MPs. Without agreement, Israel would have had to elect a new parliament for the fourth time since April 2019.
In the dispute over Gantz’s move, his middle alliance of blue and white had broken. He therefore joins the coalition only with the remaining part of blue and white. The remainder has 17 out of 120 seats in parliament, while Netanyahu’s Likud became the strongest party with 36 seats.
Israel has been governed by a transitional government under Netanyahu since late 2018. On March 2, citizens voted for a new parliament for the third time in a year. Again, there was no clear winner, but Gantz received the order to form a government. Netanyahu called on the corona crisis several times to form an emergency government.
Corruption process against Netanyahu begins in May
Gantz had previously rejected a large coalition with the Likud party, with Netanyahu in the lead, because of three corruption charges. In mid-March, however, Gantz said in parliament, referring to the corona crisis, that he would do everything in his power to form a grand coalition. Critics have since accused him of breaking his central campaign promise.
There had been harsh criticism of Gantz’s move from the center-left camp. Jair Lapid is part of the part of blue and white that vehemently rejects Gantz’s step. He said last month: “Benny Gantz submitted to Netanyahu without a fight and crawled into his government.” The corona crisis was “no reason to give up values”. Tamar Sandberg of the Merez party wrote on Twitter that the ex-military chief has “made the doormat of a corruption accused, agitator and racist”.
Under the impact of the corona crisis, the start of the corruption process against Netanyahu was postponed in mid-March. It is scheduled to start on May 24th. The Prosecutor General’s Office has accused Netanyahu of fraud and infidelity and bribery. It is about the suspicion of influencing the media, allegedly crooked deals with companies and luxury gifts from friendly business people in return for political favors. The head of government has rejected all allegations.
