Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is back in court on Monday as his corruption trial resumes and Israel's longest-serving leader will have to enter his plea to charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Involving secret recordings, media moguls, gifts of cigars and champagne and aides' betrayals, the three corruption cases have all the makings of a political thriller.
Will it bring Mr Netanyahu down?
Mr Netanyahu is the longest sitting Israeli prime minister in the country’s history and at the age of 71, he has been in office continuously since 2009 and served before that from 1996 to 1999.
He has weathered the ups and downs of office and managed to stay in power throughout the investigation – even with three elections and a fourth due on March 23.
He denies any wrongdoing and a trial is likely to take years.
He will fight to remain prime minister in March and possibly for years afterwards.
If he wins, he could try to secure parliamentary immunity, or pass laws to exempt a serving prime minister from standing trial.
Why hasn’t he stepped down?
Under Israeli law, a sitting prime minister does not have immunity from prosecution, and while he is the first premier to be indicted while in office he has obliged to resign unless convicted.
A convicted prime minister can also theoretically stay in office until all avenues of appeal have been exhausted – a process that could take up to several months or years.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stepped down as party leader when he was under investigation for corruption in 2008, but technically remained prime minister until elections the following year – polls which brought Mr Netanyahu to power
Olmert went on trial in 2009, and was convicted. But he only began serving his sentence in 2016, due to the long legal process.
Do Israelis care?
Yes. The corruption case has had a polarising impact on Israelis.
Thousands of demonstrators gather weekly outside his official residence and across Israel under the banner of "Crime Minister", demanding he quit. This continued during the Covid-19 pandemic and orders barring people travelling more than a short distance from their homes to contain the virus.
But, his right-wing voter base has stayed loyal and he continues to come out top in elections despite the scandal. Supporters see the man they call King Bibi as strong on security and an influential voice for Israel abroad.
What are the charges?
Case 1000, including charges of fraud and breach of trust
Mr Netanyahu and his wife Sara have been accused of illicitly accepting around $200,000 in gifts including cigars and bottles of champagne from two billionaires – Hollywood-based Israeli movie mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian magnate James Packer.
Mr Netanyahu has claimed that they were tokens of friendship and that he did not act inappropriately in exchange for them. Prosecutors allege they curried favour with the prime minister to help Mr Milchan with his business interests and to gain Mr Packer favours over a decade.
Mr Milkman and Mr Packer are not facing any charges and have denied any wrongdoing.
Case 2000, including charges of fraud and breach of trust
Mr Netanyahu is accused of striking a deal with Israeli media mogul Arnon Mozes – who owns Yedioth Ahronoth, the country's biggest newspaper by circulation. The deal allegedly secured the prime minister better coverage in return for legislation that would slow the growth of a rival newspaper to Yedioth Ahronoth.
Mr Mozes was also charged with bribery in this case but also denies wrongdoing.
Case 4000, including charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust
Case 4000 is the big one.
In addition to his position as premier, Mr Netanyahu held the post of communications minister from 2014 to 2017, and prosecutors allege he agreed a "reciprocal arrangement" with Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder in Israel's biggest telecoms company "Bezeq," which owned the news website Walla.
Mr Netanyahu is accused of promoting regulatory decisions favourable to Mr Elovitch in exchange for positive coverage by Walla.
In this case, Mr Netanyahu has been charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Mr Elovitch and his wife, Iris, have been charged with bribery and obstruction of justice. The couple denies wrongdoing.
What are the cases built on?
So far, the prosecution has assembled more than 300 witnesses to support these allegations.
Mr Netanyahu’s lawyers have tried to both delay and discredit the proceedings, by filing complaints against the prosecution, and claiming that police investigators used illegitimate means to secure evidence, in an attempt to get the charges disqualified.
What is the hold up?
The trial began last year with Mr Netanyahu attending the first hearing on May 24, 2020, speaking only to identify himself and confirm he had read and understood the charges.
Mr Netanyahu was granted an exemption from appearing at later, more procedural stages of the trial.
But the trial, presided over by judges Moshe Bar-Am, Rebecca Friedman-Feldman and Oded Shaham, has been delayed several times due to coronavirus lockdowns. It was supposed to resume in January but a third national lockdown delayed it again.
Last month, the court also ordered the prosecution to amend the charges against Mr Netanyahu to differentiate between him and his family members, who appear in the charges but are not on trial.
What has Mr Netanyahu and his rivals said about the trial?
In a live Facebook broadcast before entering the courtroom on May 24, he criticised what he called the "fabricated and ludicrous" accusations.
He says he is the victim of a politically orchestrated "witch hunt" by the left and media to oust him from office, and that receiving gifts from friends is not against the law.
Rival turned coalition partner Benny Gantz campaigned heavily on Mr Netanyahu’s corruption allegations but when they were in partnership said that, like every citizen, the prime minister was entitled to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, a former partner of Mr Gantz, said Mr Netanyahu could not lead the country while standing trial and suggested the impact of the lockdown on the court system could be politically motivated.
"There is a true fear he will make decisions based on his personal survival interests, and not the national interest," he tweeted.
Could he go to jail?
Bribery charges carry a jail sentence of up to 10 years and/or a fine. Fraud and breach of trust carry a sentence of up to three years.
Will a verdict come soon?
Unlikely. The trial could take years. But, proceedings could be cut short if Mr Netanyahu seeks a plea deal. – Additional reporting by Reuters
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
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The view from The National
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Correspondents
By Tim Murphy
(Grove Press)
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Honeymoonish
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