Assault on police espionage: "Serious incidents that did not happen during our shift, Likud harassed by investigation"

The Minister of Justice said in a special interview with Walla!

That the Likud is not interested in investigating the affair and that Netanyahu's strategy is "delegitimizing the commission of inquiry."

He also referred to Etty Kreif and said that this was an "exceptional appointment that should not have happened."

On the settlement with Deri: "He undertook to resign from the Knesset, but not from the Shas leadership"

Tal Shalev and Yael Friedson

09/02/2022

Wednesday, 09 February 2022, 11:04 Updated: 12:53

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In the video: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Gideon Saar in an interview at Walla!

(Still photography: Reuven Castro)

The deputy prime minister and justice minister said today (Wednesday) that as long as there is evidence of police espionage in the police espionage case, these are "the most serious incidents that can happen" that should be investigated without rendering.

In a special interview with Walla!

He talks about the initiative to establish a committee to examine the allegations, the plea agreement of Aryeh Deri and retired judge Etty Kreif, and says that he does not intend to return to the Likud after party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu resigns.

More on Walla!

In order to arrive at an investigation of the truth in the police espionage case, evidence is needed.

So far we have not seen any of them

To the full article

More on Walla!

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Saar (Photo: Reuven Castro)

In his first statement since the senior officials' meeting yesterday, in which it was decided to set up an investigation team into the police espionage affair with GSS and Mossad representatives, Saar emphasized that so far no significant evidence has emerged of suspicions of Calcalist investigation

. "She initiated a process, but before saying that there is an apparent suspicion, something more significant is needed that does not yet exist," Saar said. A basis for examining the law enforcement system - what is right and what is wrong.

"" These are events that, if they happened, are serious.

"If they happened - they happened a few years ago, they did not happen in our shift, but they will be checked without rendering in our shift," he stressed.

"If the events happened - these are the most serious things that can happen."

NSO offices (Photo: Reuters)

Saar accused the Likud of "apparently being very troubled" by the investigation into the allegations of police espionage, against the background of disagreements in the political system over the type of committee to be set up to examine the issue, and the Likud's demand that the president appoint the committee.

"I think they are probably very bothered by an investigation, because there is no way stipulated in the law that the president sets up commissions of inquiry," Saar explained.

"There are two types of committees with powers: a government committee headed by a judge and I, as a minister, gives it powers like a state commission of inquiry, a state committee of which the president of the Supreme Court presides. "Because there is no such thing."

"I hear all sorts of things that I can not understand, 'a committee that will be acceptable to all parties.'

"His strategy has not changed."

Netanyahu (Photo: Knesset Spokeswoman, Danny Shem Tov)

Do you think that Netanyahu is involved in publications in the NSO affair?

"I never say something that I do not have an evidential factual basis to say, so I do not say it. When you come and talk at the most serious level ... I will give an example: when we were in the opposition led by Netanyahu, during the Second Lebanon War, and we demanded a commission of inquiry - we demanded State Commission of Inquiry, because it is the most powerful tool in the law. "Netanyahu has changed, both in his last years in power and now in the opposition."

"Improper conduct."

Deri (Photo: Reuven Castro)

Saar addressed the issue of stigma, against the background of plea agreements with former ministers Deri and Litzman, and the legislative initiatives of New Hope to extend the period of stigma.

He stressed that in his eyes a person who has served a prison sentence should not return to political life at all.

"The same rule that is set today, which is currently seven years from serving the prison sentence, is relevant for a person convicted and running a prison sentence or running for service jobs. If that person wants to return to be a minister in the future storm.

Regarding the Shas chairman, who despite resigning from the Knesset continues to lead the party after he was not disgraced, Saar said that he believes Deri's conduct is inappropriate.

"He promised to resign from the Knesset, he did not promise to resign from the Shas leadership.

These are the facts.

One can criticize the plea deal, or support it, all of which are legitimate positions.

But it's irrelevant. "

"I think Mr. Deri's conduct is improper conduct, but I have no particular interest in engaging in it. I think a person convicted twice is a thing that speaks for itself. I said what my principled opinion is on the subject. I should act within my authority. My authority is to try to change the The norm in legislation. Plea bargains are something that is done when the prosecution has certain conclusions about the case and it makes all sorts of considerations. You can try to attack them in the High Court, and that happened in this case, the criminal court is not bound by them.

This is the discretion of the prosecution, not mine.

In a democracy when there is an independent prosecution and an independent judiciary - I do not have to go in and put pressure on the prosecution.

As for such and such political people, whether they are my political rivals or not - thank God I am not on my side.

This is the meaning of the independence of the prosecution and the independence of the judiciary, this is the important principle.

I am in charge of other levels, of the legislation and as in the law that was passed yesterday in the Constitution Committee, limiting the term of office of the Prime Minister.

"New hope will run alone in the next election"

The Minister of Justice is also required to deal with the conduct of retired judge Etty Kreif, who left her position as a judge in 2019 following the "sex in exchange for appointment" affair.

Saar said that the case of Kreif's appointment to the Judicial Appointments Committee is "an exceptional case that should not have happened

" Employees can have mistakes. There can also be an appointment that retrospectively analyzes and says it is incorrect. Two weeks ago we appointed 50 judges, we did a thorough and serious job. We reached agreements, the discussion was professional, serious, based on the data. "But they are a weighty consideration that needs very extraordinary circumstances to deviate from. And I think this appointment is exceptional, no doubt."

If you sit on the committee during the time of Etty Kreif, if a candidate with the data of Etty Kreif would come before you to the committee of selection of judges headed by Gideon Saar, when the Minister of Justice is the figure who should represent the judges, face the public?

"The wisdom in retrospect is very small. The answer is no. I do not know if what was revealed to the public in recent days through the media was known then and presented then. "In retrospect, this is an appointment that should not have happened and I think there should be no impeachment in the whole procedure. We need to examine how the appointments usually happen and what the results are usually."

"An appointment that should not have happened."

Kreif (Photo: screenshot, Keshet 12)

Saar dismissed speculation about a future return to the Likud, making it clear that new hope would run alone in the next election, and not as part of a broad right-wing political framework.

"I am leading a party, a new hope, it represents the values ​​I believe in," Saar said.

"When I hear other Likud spokesmen today, not only Netanyahu, I can not feel any sympathy for either the content and the style. "

"The one who spoke is not us. We will run as a new hope in the next election. All statements are from other parties, they do not obligate us. We will run as a new hope. We fulfill our commitments to the public. This week three things from our platform we fulfill, our commitment Towards the public and I am convinced that when we reach the public test, we will receive the trust. "

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• Aryeh Deri

• Etty Kreif

• Benjamin Netanyahu