Netanyahu likely will not challenge commission's findings — Jerusalem Post
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely not legally challenge the findings of the state commission in the submarine procurement case. As the Jerusalem Post reports, before the final stage of the investigation began on November 1, Netanyahu and his lawyers had not reviewed the full body of materials concerning the allegations against him and had not submitted a list of defense witnesses.
The commission's interim warnings
The state commission, chaired by former President of Israel's Supreme Court Asher Grunis, issued Netanyahu an interim warning in June 2024. Former Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff Moshe Ya'alon, former head of Mossad and the National Security Council Yossi Cohen, former Navy commander Ram Rothberg, and former National Security Council official Avner Simhoni received the same warnings.
In its interim warning regarding Netanyahu, the commission stated that his actions led to extensive and systemic violations of work processes, the division of authority, and decision-making mechanisms in a number of sensitive matters. In the commission's view, this jeopardized national security and also harmed Israel's foreign relations and economic interests.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The investigation concerns decisions on the purchase of German submarines and other naval vessels. According to the commission's assessment, Netanyahu bypassed the positions of almost the entire security leadership, which considered other military procurements a higher priority. The commission also considered problematic his permission for Germany to sell submarines to Egypt, about which, according to its information, senior defense officials were not informed.
Separate criminal proceedings
Netanyahu has publicly rejected claims of mistakes in this case. He cited the Navy's need for additional submarines and stated that, as head of government, he had a broader understanding of Israel's foreign policy needs than other members of the security leadership. At the same time, according to the Jerusalem Post, he did not respond to specific allegations that he concealed decisions from officials who objected to them.
The state investigation should not be confused with the criminal Case 3000, which is being heard by the Tel Aviv District Court. In it, several former officials and intermediaries were charged in connection with an alleged bribery scheme during submarine deals. Netanyahu was not a defendant in this criminal case: former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit stated that there was insufficient evidence of his knowledge of the alleged involvement of aides in the scheme.
