Sheldon Adelson refused to go along with an alleged effort by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hatch an illicit quid pro quo deal with the publisher of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Channel 10 news reported on Friday
Netanyahu is under investigation in several corruption cases, one of which — known as Case 2000 — involves an illicit deal he allegedly hatched with the owner of Israel’s biggest selling newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, under which the prime minister would get more favorable coverage from the paper. In return, the premier was allegedly prepared to handicap Yedioth’s pro-Netanyahu rival, the free daily Israel Hayom, which is owned by billionaire philanthropist Adelson.
As stated by the TV report, Netanyahu asked Adelson to help consummate the deal, but the American casino tycoon refused. Evidence provided by a state’s witness in the case, former Netanyahu aide Nir Hefetz, shows that Adelson acted with propriety, the report said.
No details were provided on the manner in which Netanyahu allegedly asked Adelson to assist him.
Adelson, Hefetz testified, was “a positive figure,” the TV report said, in that he “did not cooperate with Netanyahu’s requests to give the owners of Yedioth something in return for positive coverage” of the prime minister.
Nir Hefetz appears in a Tel Aviv court on February 22, 2018. (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)
Adelson, who has been a staunch backer of the prime minister and is the driving force behind the pro-Netanyahu Israel Hayom, has been questioned by police as a witness in the case. His wife Miriam has also met with investigators.
After one such testimony, Adelson reportedly said he was “surprised, disappointed and angered” to learn of conversations between Netanyahu and Yedioth owner Arnon “Noni” Mozes.
“We didn’t know about the conversations with Mozes,” Adleson said in his testimony, according to a Channel 2 news report last year.
Publisher and owner of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper Arnon ‘Noni’ Mozes arrives for questioning at the Lahav 433 investigation unit in Lod, January 15, 2017. (Koko/Flash90)
Police in February recommended Netanyahu be charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in the case, as well as another investigation known as Case 1000.
In that case, Netanyahu and his wife are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from billionaire benefactors, amounting to some NIS 1 million ($282,000) worth of cigars and champagne from the Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian resort owner James Packer, in return for certain benefits.
Netanyahu has also been questioned in Case 4000, which involves suspicions he advanced regulations benefiting Bezeq telecom’s owner, Shaul Elovitch, in exchange for flattering coverage from Bezeq’s Walla news site.
Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.