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Netanyahu thwarts risk of submarine scandal resurfacing

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apparently managed to distance himself from any risks of being implicated in the submarine scandal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu climbs out after a visit inside the Rahav, the fifth submarine in the fleet, after it arrived in Haifa port January 12, 2016. The Dolphin-class submarines, widely believed to be capable of firing nuclear missiles, were manufactured in Germany and sold to Israel at deep discounts as part of Berlin's commitment to shoring up the security of the country set in part as a haven for Jews who survived the Holocaust.REUTERS/Baz Ratner - GF20000092315

At the beginning of May, the Egyptian navy received the third submarine out of four that Egypt had bought from the German corporation Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. These submarines were greeted by headlines not only in Egypt but also in Israel, because here they star in the “submarine affair,” which is considered by pundits to be the most severe case of corruption since the founding of the State of Israel. The affair includes the three new submarines acquired by Israel from Thyssenkrupp, but also the ones purchased by Egypt from the same source.

One of the arguments made by all the Blue and White seniors during the recent election campaigns is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the Egyptian sale to Chancellor Angela Merkel without consulting or updating the heads of Israel’s defense system. Germany does not need Israel’s approval, but because of the special bilateral relations, Berlin did ask Jerusalem’s acceptance. According to former chiefs of staff Moshe Ya’alon, Gabi Ashkenazi, Benny Gantz (and also Yair Lapid), Netanyahu’s lone approval had effectively waived Israel’s veto power regarding the sale of German strategic weapons to Israel’s neighbors. They even argued that his conduct was alarming and on the border of treason for allowing the Egyptian navy to acquire sophisticated, expensive and lethal weapons. They hinted that this was connected to personal interests of Netanyahu’s close friends and family members in Thyssenkrupp.

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