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Established 1961 7 International Thursday, February 15, 2018 Netanyahu rejects calls to quit as Israel police seek indictment PM says police case ‘full of holes, like Swiss cheese’ JERUSALEM: Key coalition partners said yesterday they conference that begins on Friday. Netanyahu draws politi- would stick with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cal strength in part from his close ties with US President for now, pending a decision by the attorney general whether Donald Trump, who in December reversed decades of US or not to indict him for bribery as recommended by police. policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a A decision could take months and Netanyahu’s government move hailed by Israelis although Palestinians - who claim appeared stable for the time being. The right-wing premier East Jerusalem for the capital of a future state - and lead- has strongly denied the police allegations, calling them “full ers across the Middle East were dismayed. of holes, like Swiss cheese”. “I want to reassure you, the coalition is stable. No one, ‘Beginning of the end’ not I, not anyone else, has plans to go to an election,” One of the cases against Netanyahu, known as Case Netanyahu told a conference in Tel Aviv yesterday, the day 1000, alleged the “committing of crimes of bribery, fraud after police made their rec- and breach of trust” by ommendations public. “We the prime minister. Police will continue to work with named Arnon Milchan, a you for the good of Israel’s Hollywood producer and citizens until the end of the Israeli citizen, and term,” he said. Police on After allegations, Australian businessman Tuesday said they had James Packer, as having found sufficient evidence Israel government given gifts that included for the 68-year-old champagne, cigars and Netanyahu to be charged ‘stable - for now’ jewelry to Netanyahu with bribery in two sepa- and his family. In all, the JERUSALEM: This combination of pictures shows Israeli attorney general Avichai Mandelblit (left), rate cases, presenting him merchandise was worth Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center) and the chief of the Israeli police, Commissioner with one of the biggest more than one million Roni Alsheikh in Jerusalem. Israeli police have recommended that Netanyahu be indicted in two cases challenges to his long dom- Israeli shekels of alleged corruption after a long-running probe.—AFP inance of Israeli politics. ($280,000), the state- It is now up to Israel’s attorney general to decide ment said. Any legal proceedings would probably focus on whether to indict Netanyahu and this could take some whether political favours were sought or granted. months to resolve. Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing in Netanyahu’s lawyers said the presents were simply tokens both cases. With political signals that the government of friendship. part of the White Helmets rescue force. They spend remained solid, Israeli markets rose on Wednesday. Defence On Tuesday night, Israel’s Channel 10 television quoted hours searching for and extracting residents of the rebel Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who heads the ultra-nationalist a lawyer for Milchan as saying that occasional gift-giving Under bombs, Syria enclave near Damascus from under blocks of rubble-dead Yisrael Beitenu party, said that as long as Netanyahu was was devoid of any business interests. In an emailed state- or alive. But last Thursday was different. Among the dozens not convicted he should stay in office. “Truly, right now we ment a spokesman for Packer said: “There is no allegation of victims of Syrian government strikes that day was are operating in a very synchronised way,” he said. “There is of wrongdoing on Mr Packer’s behalf. The Israeli and rescuers forced to Salim’s 80-year-old mother. Returning to the pile of cin- no place here for maneuvering, for any other considera- Australian police have confirmed that he was interviewed derblocks and concrete that was once their home, Salim tions,” Lieberman told the same conference. as a witness, not a suspect.” The second investigation, save their own rewatches the shaky video footage he captured that day.In Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who heads the far- Case 2000, alleged “bribery, fraud and breach of trust by it, his mother appears in a black headscarf, her bloodied right Jewish Home party, told the gathering: “I have decid- the prime minister” relating to his dealings with Arnon and motionless body pressed underneath a collapsed wall. ed to wait until the decision of the attorney general ... (Noni) Mozes, publisher of the biggest-selling Israeli MEDEIRA: For years, Samir Salim and his three brothers Salim is crying. “I save people, mum, but I can’t save you. Regarding the moral aspect, the public will decide on vot- newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. Netanyahu and Mozes, rescued neighbours and relatives pinned underground What do I do, mum? May your soul rest in peace.” ing day.” Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, who heads the police said, discussed ways of slowing the growth of a rival after bombardment on Syria’s rebel-held Eastern Eastern Ghouta, the last rebel bastion on the capital’s centrist Kulanu party, said he would do the same. Avraham daily newspaper, Israel Hayom, “through legislation and Ghouta. But last week, they could not save their own doorstep, is home to around 400,000 besieged Syrians. Diskin, a political science professor at the Hebrew other means”. Police said they believed there was sufficient mother. Crouched atop the rubble of their home in the Last week, Syrian warplanes and artillery conducted an University of Jerusalem, said none of Netanyahu’s coalition evidence to charge Mozes with offering a bribe. Navit town of Medeira, 45-year-old Salim pinches hot tears intense five-day campaign there that left around 250 partners had any incentive to rock the boat. “We don’t see Negev and Iris Niv-Sabag, lawyers for Mozes, said in a out of his eyes with dusty, blistered hands. “It was a very civilians dead and triple that number wounded. Rescue for the time being any sign of defectors from the coalition. statement: “Noni Mozes has strong legal arguments in his difficult position to be in. It hurts to think that she was a workers were overwhelmed, rushing from the site of one Maybe individuals will defect,” Diskin told Reuters. “I favour, and we believe that after an additional examination mother of four rescue workers, and none of us could air strike to another with little equipment and dwindling don’t see any kind of collapse in the foreseeable future.” of the evidence by the prosecutor’s office the case against save her,” he tells AFP. “My mother was so proud of us, fuel supplies. Salim and his unit were en route to a col- Signalling business as usual, Netanyahu has not him will be closed and it will become clear that he commit- and of our work.” Every day since 2013, Salim and his lapsed building in Mesraba, a nearby town, when they changed his plan to attend the annual Munich security ted no crime.” —Reuters siblings have chased air strikes on Eastern Ghouta as heard another air strike hit Medeira.—AFP In central Nigeria, peace eluding farmers, herders MAKURDI: Madu Maji sits on a bench at the cattle market in Makurdi, central Nigeria, dragging his bare feet through the dust to stave off boredom. In the pens, the few cows that remain are little more than skin and bone. “Our cows GBAJIMBA, Nigeria: A policeman stands guard as he speaks on the can’t go grazing in the bush, they are phone at the internally displaced people camp occupied largely by dying now. Herdsmen don’t come here women and children affected by herders and farmer’s violent clash- anymore,” said the elderly Maji, who es in Benue State. —AFP operates the biggest cattle market in Benue state. Because of violence in recent months, only about a dozen ani- central region has become the scene to shoot sporadically.” “Two people mals are sold every day, compared to of almost daily clashes between set- were killed, our houses were burnt hundreds earlier. tled farmers such as the ethnic down. They destroyed everything,” said Nomadic cattle herders have all but Christian Tiv and herders, who are the 30-year-old teacher, one of 10,000 left Benue state, driven away by fighting mainly Fulani and Muslim. More than displaced people staying at Gbajimba over access to resources and a new law 100 people have been killed since ear- primary school, some 40 kilometres (25 banning migratory herding, an age-old ly January, with 100,000 fleeing their miles) from the state capital. For miles practice necessary for the survival of the homes to safety, according to the local around, dozens of dusty villages with livestock. The fertile lands of Benue, emergency management agency. After burnt-out homes have been emptied of veined with a vast network of rivers, months of inaction, the Nigerian army their inhabitants. Others live under a attract thousands of herders migrating announced the planned deployment of night-time curfew. “We’ve always been with their animals in the dry season from troops to several states, including allowing their cows to graze around our desert zones of West Africa. More are Benue, to end the violence. farms. But we can’t live together any- coming as a result of desertification but more. They’re animals,” Adams said. In tension is rising in a country where Food basket Benue, nicknamed “Food Basket of the space is becoming increasingly scarce Adams Nicholas lost everything Nation”, the crisis has morphed into a because of a population explosion. when “Fulani killers” armed with assault ethnic and religious crisis, with more Nigeria, already home to almost 200 rifles, pistols and sticks descended on and more Tiv openly expressing hatred million people, is predicted to become his village of Ancha on the evening of towards the Fulani, whom they accuse of the world’s third most populous coun- January 4.

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