Former generals call for national inquiry into submarine corruption

Former prime minister Ehud Barak, a former IDF chief of staff, two former major generals, a former national security adviser and a former diplomat said on Wednesday that Case 3000, “the Submarines Affair,” is likely the biggest corruption and mismanagement case in this country’s history.Barak slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that, “Netanyahu is lying,” Walla reported.“There is no secret the Germans are meant to know [meaning Israel approves that they sell submarines to Egypt] and the Minister of Defense doesn’t.”“What motivates the prime minister to make such a decision alone and not inform the defense minister?“Every 12-year-old child sees the king has no clothes,” he said.Speaking at the Zionist Organization of America House in Tel Aviv, the panelists – who included former national security adviser Uzi Arad, former IDF chief of staff Dan Halutz, former diplomat Yoram Ben Zeev, and former major generals Amos Yaron and Ilan Biran – called for a national inquiry.Outside the ZOA building, Likud was broadcasting a recorded segment in which former prime minister Ehud Olmert accused Barak of accepting bribes to the tune of tens of millions of shekels.In the recording, Olmert can be heard saying: “Israel does not sign weapons deals [without Barak]. Everyone is talking about it.”In November, police recommended that Netanyahu’s lawyer, confidant and cousin David Shimron, as well as former Israel Navy commander Eliezer Marom, be indicted on counts of bribery, among other alleged crimes. Police also included former Netanyahu chief of staff David Sharan, and the man he intended to appoint national security council chief, Avriel Bar Yosef, among those it recommended to be indicted.The police noted that there had not been sufficient evidence of offenses by Netanyahu’s trusted legal adviser, attorney Yitzhak Molcho, who will therefore avoid indictment.Netanyahu was not viewed as a suspect by police at any stage. However, the attorney-general recently opened an initial review of whether the prime minister might be connected to the case by new information emerging about his ties to a company which did business with German boat builder ThyssenKrupp.In Case 3000, public officials, and business and senior executives – either directly or through business and private companies – are suspected of having used their connections to profit from Israel’s acquisition of submarines and vessels from the German corporation, along with the promotion of additional business interests.