Shama: Mystery note stopped c'tee meeting on Ofer bros.

MK keeps mum on contents of note, says additional consideration for stopping meeting was lack of representation by Ofer Bros. Group.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Shama 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Shama 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
The note that stopped the Knesset Economics Committee Meeting on the Ofer Brothers Group sales to Iran remained a mystery on Wednesday, as committee chair MK Carmel Shama-Hacohen (Likud) would not divulge its contents.
“There are no new details since I got the note,” Shama-Hacohen said, reiterating that the note’s contents were the main motivation for halting the discussion.
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The MK added that another consideration in the abrupt interruption of Tuesday’s meeting was the lack of representation by the Ofer Brothers Group.
“I knew the Ofer Brothers themselves wouldn’t attend the meeting, but I thought they’d send a lawyer or their director-general,” Shama-Hacohen explained. “There wasn’t anyone to ask questions about the core of the discussion.”
Shama-Hacohen said it was unclear if the committee would hold another meeting on the matter. “It’s important to investigate the facts, ask questions, and clarify things on the parliamentary level. However, we do not want to stand in the way of other processes,” he added, referring to rumors that Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein plans to investigate the Ofer Brothers’ dealings with Iran.
On Tuesday night, a note was posted on Shama-Hacohen’s Facebook page that said “Carmel, The discussion is unnecessary at the moment. There are new details that change the whole picture.”
However, the MK issued a denial shortly after, writing on Facebook that “the note does not have any resemblance to the original note.”
Shama-Hacohen added that “the note is far less interesting than it seems.”
Tuesday's Knesset Economics Committee meeting was supposed to deal with the illegal sale of an oil tanker jointly owned by the Ofer Brothers Group and Singapore-based Tanker Pacific to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines.