Last Sunday he was busy at the Old Ship Hotel in Brighton. Two hundred people gathered there, one dressed as Marie Antoinette, the other as a maid. On the tables were candlesticks adorned with pearls, cakes and champagne, and etagers with macaroons. A waltz sounded in the background The Godfather. No, this was not the Kopolavan conference, but a protest against Netanyahu. Sara Netanyahu attended the first statement of the principal witness in the fraud case against her husband, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Why is the trial being held in the UK? The main witness, Arnon Milchan, did not want to come to Israel for the hearing due to ill health. He last visited his home country in 2016 and did not return after police there questioned him about his relationship with Netanyahu.
The demonstrators shouted at Sara Netanyahu: Shame on you. The cake on the table refers to the cake Sarah baked in 2020 in a video that went viral. Champagne, jewelry, and other luxuries represented the gifts Netanyahu would receive, and the music was meant to remind viewers of the couple’s extravagant lives.
On the tables were richly decorated candlesticks, cakes, champagne and etagères with macarons
If there was a Jewish way to protest, it would look like this. It looked like a seder with all that symbolism. Instead of arguing with the media, which is often seen in Dutch-owned films, the protesters explained to the journalists in detail why they were here.
passwords
The lawsuit was one of three cases currently pending against Prime Minister Netanyahu, Case No. 1,000. Netanyahu and his wife are accused of accepting expensive gifts from Israeli film producer Arnon Milchan and his billionaire friend James Packer. Milchan has produced American films, incl Pretty Woman, JFK, Fight Club And 12 years a slave. He allegedly gave the gifts in exchange for favors from Netanyahu, including using his contacts to extend Milchan’s visa to the United States. The prime minister also proposed a law that would allow new immigrants or Israelis who have lived abroad for an extended period of time to enjoy tax breaks on income earned abroad for ten years. Milchan can of course benefit greatly from this law, which was passed by the Knesset in 2008.
In his statement, Milchan admitted that symbolic words had been agreed that would allow Netanyahu to make requests for specific gifts. He saw the Prime Minister as a good friend. When he saw Netanyahu enter the courthouse in Jerusalem via Zoom, he greeted him with “Shalom, Bibi.” Moments later, Attorney General Liat Ben-Ari complained about the behavior of Sara Netanyahu, whom she accused of making faces at Milchan. The witness promised not to look at her again and joked that the situation fit into a good movie or TV show.
Shaftim
In short, even in court it was a spectacle. If Netanyahu is convicted of the charges against him, it will be bad for the international reputation of Israeli politicians, to say the least, especially when it comes to integrity.
The parasha who reminded me of this and this reflects the hopes of many for Israeli politics is Shevtim. This passage of Tora will not be read until August, but it is a summary of the morals associated with the constitutional state. The first paragraph relates that Moses commanded the Jewish people to appoint judges and officials for their tribes, so that they would rule the people justly, impartially, and without bribery. Here is one of the most famous phrases in the Torah:Tsedek Tsedek Tirdof“Justice, justice, that is what you must strive for.
These words are often used in the context of activity, but that is not what I mean by them in this case. I see a reference to the paragraph that precedes it. Basically, what we all seek on these important issues is unbiased justice.
