Police: Case pending against (Avigdor) Lieberman

[Englander]

By Jonathan Lis
No love lost between men in blue and man who would be public security minister

Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman has had a complicated and media-hyped relationship with the Israel Police since his days as director general of the Prime Minister's Office. Lieberman has been investigated several times and for years waged a public campaign against the police investigations branch, the authority given to it and what Lieberman calls his political persecution by its directors.

There is still one Lieberman investigation pending: suspicion of illicit business dealings in Russia and corruption offenses related to election campaign funding in 1998 and '99. The police announced on the eve of the elections that the probe is at its height and it is unclear when it will be completed. Yesterday another police official confirmed that although the material was transferred to the State Prosecutor's Office months ago, the police decided to tie up some loose ends, and this process has not ended.

The investigation deals with ties Lieberman allegedly maintained with criminals from the "Russian Mafia," who enabled him to carry out a deal in 1998 that netted him over $3 million in a ruble crisis. Police are also investigated suspicions of corruption relating to election campaign funding in 1998-'99. These investigations led about 18 months ago to the removal of Major General Moshe Mizrahi as head of the police investigation branch because of the extensive wiretapping of Lieberman that the department conducted under his command and in contravention of regulations.

More at;
Haaretz

[Ian David]

1. Israel's Lieberman sucks as much as ours does! n/t

[Englander]

2. Haaretz;

Olmert: No problem with appointing Lieberman public security minister

By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent

Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert told Kadima leaders Tuesday that he sees no problem with appointing Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman public security minister, as long as there is no legal reason not do so.

Such an appointment could create a conflict between the police force and the minister responsible for it.

Lieberman is under police investigation on suspicion of involvement in illicit business dealings in Russia and corruption offenses related to election campaign funding in 1998 and 1999. Lieberman has been investigated several other times as well, and for years has waged a public campaign against the Police Investigations Department.

Lieberman announced a few days ago that his party would not join the government unless his party could control the Public Security Ministry.

Olmert said he sees Lieberman as someone who could make a significant contribution to the ministry, adding that he would not give the job to another Yisrael Beiteinu MK
because the job requires ministerial experience, which Lieberman has.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/705207.html

[Violet_Crumble]

3. No prizes for guessing why he wants the Public Security Ministry...

Apart from that, Olmert falls in my estimation for considering appointing a racist like Lieberman as a minister in his govt...

Violet...

[Englander]

4. Yeah, it is very blatant.

A brief bio of this racist, & why he's a racist;

'The worrying rise of Avigdor Lieberman

>snip

So, who is Avigdor Lieberman? He immigrated from Moldova to Israel in 1978, when he was 20. Within a few years of finishing university, he became involved in politics, eventually becoming secretary of Likud. He served as Bibi Netanyahu's major-domo during the latter's term as prime minister.

>snip

Although definitely rightwing politically, he is more of a brutalist than an ideologue. The issue of greater Israel is important to him (he is one of the few Knesset members who actually lives in a West Bank settlement), but less important than issues of demography.

Yisrael Beiteinu's popularity comes more from Lieberman's ideas about Israel's Arab minority. Over the years, rightwing fringe parties have proposed a policy of "transferring" Israel's Arab citizens to neighbouring Arab countries.

The idea - patently illegal and morally reprehensible - is to protect Israel's Jewish character.

In the current campaign, two parties are proposing ways to "solve" the Arab problem. One proposes to do this by force, the other by encouraging Arab emigration using bribes and incentives.

Lieberman, by contrast, has a novel but no less legally dubious solution. He proposes to redraw Israel's boundaries to transfer control of large Arab border towns such as Umm el-Fahem to the Palestinians. No one has to move physically, and Israel solves its demographic problem. Easy peasy.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2006/03/24/the_worrying_rise_of_avigdor_lieberman.html

[bemildred]

5. Olmert looks like a nebbish at this point.

He is being led around by the nose.