Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit conducted meetings Wednesday with the State Prosecutor and other Justice Ministry officials regarding the issue of the submarine purchases by the IDF after new information was received from the police and there were further developments.
Mandelblit decided to open a police enquiry to investigate the various aspects of the affair.
This is the second meeting that Mandelblit arranged on the topic this week. A Channel 10 report claimed that there was a conflict of interests for attorney David Shimron who is Netanyahu’s private lawyer as well as representing the German shipping company which will supply the submarines to Israel.
In another investigative report it was claimed that former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon opposed the submarine deal which cost 1.5 billion NIS.
However after Yaalon left the Defense Ministry and despite IDF opposition, Netanyahu announced that Israel would purchase the submarines.
Channel 2 reported that Shimron had undergone a polygraph test in which he was asked “Did you inform the prime minister of your connection to the shipping company? Did you ever speak with the prime minister about your involvement in purchasing submarines or other ships? ” as well as other questions. Shimron answered all the questions in the negative and was found to be telling the truth.
Netanyahu referred to the matter in the cabinet meeting Sunday and said that his only consideration in the purchase was maintaining Israel’s military power.
He said that “Israel’s security required the purchase of these submarines which are advanced strategic systems which ensure Israel’s future and existence in the coming decades.”
