Summoning One of the Largest American Jewish Billionaires in the Netanyahu Case

Israeli police investigations into the life of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and the potential influence of his personal relationships with global billionaires on national decisions have led to one of the largest American Jewish billionaires being summoned to testify in Israel. Israeli media reported that Sheldon Adelson, an American billionaire and a close friend and major supporter of Netanyahu, was called by Israeli police on Tuesday, July 5, to testify about his relationships and knowledge. In addition to Sheldon Adelson, his Israeli wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson, has also been summoned to testify and will be questioned by investigators for the first time. The Israeli police's anti-corruption unit, known as Unit 433, which has been responsible for the investigations into Benjamin Netanyahu in recent months, has stated that Sheldon and Miriam Adelson are not under suspicion and are only being questioned as 'informants'. Last month, Sheldon Adelson had already provided his first testimony while accompanying Donald Trump and an American delegation to Israel. At 83 years old, Sheldon Adelson has amassed great wealth through large casinos in the U.S. and around the world and has been a supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu's political views for many years, financially backing his campaigns. Adelson's involvement in Israeli politics became more public several years ago with the launch of the free newspaper 'Israel Hayom' to support the Likud party and Netanyahu's premiership. The anti-corruption unit of the Israeli police has questioned Netanyahu several times in recent months regarding two issues: 'receiving cigars and champagne from his billionaire friends' and 'attempting to interfere in the media through an agreement with the founder of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper'. The cases known as 'Case 1000'; receiving cigars for seventeen years from wealthy individuals, and 'Case 2000'; the behind-the-scenes agreements between Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes, the owner of Yedioth Ahronoth, are being pursued by an Iranian-born investigator named 'Kourosh Barnour'. Mr. Adelson and his wife have been questioned in connection with 'Case 2000'. Netanyahu has defended himself by acknowledging receiving gifts from his friends in 'Case 1000' but has stated that he did not grant them any favors in return. Regarding 'Case 2000', Netanyahu has said that as a politician and leader of the ruling Likud party, he had the right to work to maintain his leadership position and strengthen the Likud party through the media. Netanyahu has advised his political rivals to 'hold off on tailoring a prime minister's suit' because 'he will remain prime minister for a long time to come'. The extensive interrogations by the Israeli police of Netanyahu and his friends and informants in the cases have not yet reached the stage of accusations. Moshe Ya'alon, a former defense minister, has stated that Netanyahu should be questioned regarding a military deal for purchasing submarines from Germany. However, the Israeli police have said that the submarine deal does not have a criminal investigation aspect against Netanyahu, although some former close associates of his, including one of his previous defense attorneys, are being interrogated. Ehud Olmert, a former Prime Minister of Israel, was sentenced to 19 months in prison for involvement in construction and other financial ambiguities in his conduct and is currently serving his sentence. The health condition of 71-year-old Ehud Olmert worsened in recent days, and he was transferred to the hospital, but the President of Israel did not accept a request for a third of his prison term to be pardoned. Reports of the disclosure of some 'state secrets' in memoirs that Olmert wrote by hand in his prison cell and the transfer of the manuscripts to a major Israeli publisher led to his leave being canceled. In this context, the publication of more details regarding the allegations against Netanyahu, an American Jewish billionaire ready to contribute $100 million to Trump's campaign, changes the playing field of 'proxies'; the war against the people in the streets of Iran, the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society, the death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iranian crisis, 1300 hours of internet outages; Witkoff: a horrific massacre occurred during the protests in Iran.