Foreign Affairs

Netanyahu Questioned By Police At His Residence

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Israeli police questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his residence in Jerusalem Tuesday over possible involvement in a $2 billion sale of German Thyssenkrupp submarines to Israel.

Tuesday marks the first time Netanyahu has been questioned about the sale of three submarines and four patrol vessels since it was initially reported in late 2016 that his personal lawyer also represented an agent of the German makers of the vessels.

“The prime minister gave testimony in Case 3000, the submarines case, for the first time. He is not a suspect,” police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Reuters.

Israeli media initially reported that Netanyahu would be questioned Tuesday over another corruption probe, in which he allegedly aided in giving Bezeq, a telecommunications firm, regulatory favors in return for positive news coverage.

The so-called Case 4000 deals with allegations against Netanyahu when he was communications minister (and prime minister) from 2014-2017. Netanyahu has been questioned twice in regards to Case 4000, and has consistently denied wrongdoing.

Netanyahu’s lawyer has said he has not committed a crime in either of the other two corruption charges either; Case 1000 and Case 2000.

Case 2000 alleges Netanyahu plotted to win more favorable media coverage from a certain newspaper, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, if he obstructed circulation of a rival paper, Israel ­Hayom, owned by U.S. businessman Sheldon Adelson.

Israel’s attorney general has yet to decide whether to indict Netanyahu on any of the above charges.

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