Trump turned to the high court in a last-ditch effort to stop the hearing, citing the conservative majority’s explosive opinion in July that granted him and other former presidents immunity from criminal prosecution for their official acts.
But five of the nine justices said Trump’s immunity concerns about evidence presented at his trial can be addressed “in the ordinary course on appeal.”
The immense gravity of the case weighed heavily on the Supreme Court on Thursday, with justices across the ideological spectrum expressing fears of the new order they could unleash.
The immediate question is whether Trump will face trial in his Jan. 6 criminal case before the 2024 election. But the conservative-led court‘s decision will shape history well beyond November.
„We‘re writing a rule for the ages,“ Justice Neil Gorsuch observed.
Attempting to imagine an escape route which also includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s acquittal of criminal charges, is a result of the painful realization that the hawkish factions on both sides – even though one can‘t compare the governmental sadism led by Justice Minister Yariv Levin and the most rigid and militant anti-overhaul protesters – ignore the will of the majority and charge onward, almost with lust, to the very dangerous disagreement known as a constitutional crisis.
This hope, however, whether you want to surrender to it or to resist it in disgust, is in no way realistic. For now. According to knowledgeable sources, Netanyahu is simply not interested: not in stopping the judicial overhaul nor in a unity government.
(20. April 1997)
Netanyahu told CNN‘s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“
„It‘s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It‘s done. It‘s finished.“
“There already are legislative initiatives meant to increase political involvement in appointing judges, as well as curtailing the Supreme Court’s authority, apparently for the purpose of preventing judicial review of government actions…all I can say is this: first, this is a crude threat, unseen heretofore by the judiciary, meant apparently to influence its rulings; second, these steps are a surefire recipe for critically damaging democracy and for perpetuating corruption.”
These pointed words were written in 2008 by Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levi, who was part of the panel hearing a petition against a decision by then-Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to grant a lenient plea bargain to former President Moshe Katsav.
With careful consideration, it is plausible to suggest that Milchan‘s decision may have been influenced by the judges‘ proposal to withdraw the bribery charge in Case 4000, which was presented just before his testimony. The witness perceived this case to overshadow his own involvement, often remarking that the magnitude of „hundreds of millions of dollars“ cannot be compared to indulgences in cigars and champagne. This positioning allowed Milchan to assume a supporting role in the unfolding narrative, but an unexpected turn of events thrust him into the spotlight. Being fluent in the language of power, it appears that Milchan recognized Netanyahu‘s resurgent influence and chose not to risk challenging him.
If there was a time to wake up, once again, with all our strength against the judicial coup – that time is now. This is not a drill; it‘s back with us. The protest leaders promised in the beginning that they „sleep with their boots on.“ Now it‘s time to put ours on.
For this saga to end now, one of two things has to happen: Either the prosecution has to withdraw the indictment, or Netanyahu has to admit to some of the charges and leave office immediately. But the prime minister is now breathing easy and praising the judges whom he previously suspected of being leftists. And Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who views the court’s position as a colossal mistake, is currently determined to go all the way, including to the Supreme Court.
Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan, a key witness in one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption cases, is set to testify at the premier’s corruption trial via video link from Brighton, England, beginning on Sunday.
The film producer is a witness in Case 1000 — one of three in which Netanyahu faces charges — involving suspicions that the premier illicitly accepted gifts including cigars and champagne from Milchan and another billionaire, James Packer.
According to the report, during a routine hearing at the Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday, the judges engaged in a fifteen-minute discussion with the State Prosecutor‘s Office and Netanyahu‘s defense team and the other defendants, Shaul and Iris Elovich.
The judges reportedly emphasized that „the good of the state requires a settlement.“
(22.06.2023)
According to Walla and Channel 13, the judges convened with state prosecutors and Netanyahu’s defense team in their chambers in order to discuss the complexities involved in substantiating the bribery charge against the prime minister in Case 4000, the most significant of the three cases against Netanyahu that make up the trial.
Also known as the Bezeq-Walla case, it focuses on allegations that Netanyahu, during a previous tenure as prime minister, authorized regulatory decisions that financially benefited Bezeq telecommunications giant shareholder Shaul Elovitch by hundreds of millions of shekels.
(20. April 1997)
Netanyahu told CNN‘s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“
„It‘s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It‘s done. It‘s finished.“
Moreover, while decisions by the full cabinet would have immunity from being overturned because the court deemed them unreasonable, decisions by individual ministers would not enjoy such immunity.
Opposition leaders said during the talks that they viewed this as a sensible compromise.
(20. April 1997)
Netanyahu told CNN‘s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“
„It‘s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It‘s done. It‘s finished.“
(December 6, 2022)
A federal judge in Washington on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the fiance of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi against Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, citing President Biden‘s grant of immunity.
U.S. District Judge John Bates suggested he was reluctant to throw out the lawsuit but had no choice given the Biden administration‘s decision.
US will continue to review its relationship with Saudi Arabia despite the administration saying the crown prince has immunity from Khashoggi lawsuit
A production increase of up to 500,000 barrels a day is now under discussion for OPEC’s December 4 meeting, delegates said.
It is simply wrong for people to publicly advocate for segregation and unemployment of a group of people because they don’t want a medicine that is fifteen minutes old.
It is simply wrong to whip your children up into a frenzy about something you have only heard about on the mainstream news to the point where they are yelling at strangers less than two meters away.
It is simply wrong to uninvite family members from Christmas because they didn’t take the same medicine you did.
It is simply wrong to close churches—you know, those places you go to when death is near—because you think death is near!
It is simply wrong to close the borders for years on end and completely ruin businesses that rely on tourism.
It is simply wrong to demonize every dissenting opinion in the pursuit of scientific and medical answers. Something about the scientific method requiring dissenting opinions and contrary evidence to buttress claims comes to mind…
I could go on and on.
(31.10.2022)
We have to put these fights aside and declare a pandemic amnesty. We can leave out the willful purveyors of actual misinformation while forgiving the hard calls that people had no choice but to make with imperfect knowledge. Los Angeles County closed its beaches in summer 2020. Ex post facto, this makes no more sense than my family’s masked hiking trips. But we need to learn from our mistakes and then let them go. We need to forgive the attacks, too. Because I thought schools should reopen and argued that kids as a group were not at high risk, I was called a “teacher killer” and a “génocidaire.” It wasn’t pleasant, but feelings were high. And I certainly don’t need to dissect and rehash that time for the rest of my days.
Moving on is crucial now, because the pandemic created many problems that we still need to solve.
Exclusive: Draft security bill would let spies and ministers enable killings and torture, warn charity and ex-minister
(20. April 1997)
Netanyahu told CNN‘s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“
„It‘s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It‘s done. It‘s finished.“
(20. April 1997)
Netanyahu told CNN‘s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“
„It‘s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It‘s done. It‘s finished.“
Boris Johnson has ordered Tory MPs who want to meet him in 10 Downing Street to bring „Covid passports“.
Dozens of House Republicans and their staffers marched maskless out of the House to the Senate floor in protest of the new mask mandate for the lower chamber.
The lawmakers and their staffers traveled across the Capitol on Thursday to protest the fact that Capitol Police have instructed officers to arrest staffers and visitors who don‘t wear masks and refuse to leave the House.
“The criminals who are currently leading the serious crime in Arab society are mostly Shin Bet informants and in this situation, the police are bound because those informants, who enjoy immunity, cannot be touched,” the unnamed senior officer was reported to have said.
In other countries, a disclosure like Nussbaum’s would topple governments and drive people out of their minds, and then out of their homes. But in Israel, everything is permitted as long as the victims are from the “non-Jewish sector,” to use a term commonly used by state institutions. It turns out that in Israel, no price is too high to protect Shin Bet collaborators – not even 100 murdered Arabs a year.
(26.06.2021)
The witness, who has a documented history with sociopathy and has received several convictions for sexual abuse of minors and wide-ranging financial fraud, made the admission in a newly published interview in Stundin where he also confessed to having continued his crime spree whilst working with the Department of Justice and FBI and receiving a promise of immunity from prosecution.
The man in question, Sigurdur Ingi Thordarson, was recruited by US authorities to build a case against Assange after misleading them to believe he was previously a close associate of his.
(20. April 1997)
Netanyahu told CNN‘s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“
„It‘s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It‘s done. It‘s finished.“
A year ago, Netanyahu waived his parliamentary immunity after he realized that in the Knesset elected in September 2019, he had no chance of receiving immunity. But the prime minister’s lawyers recently claimed in court that he never waived his right to parliamentary immunity, saying that the Knesset’s immunity proceedings were flawed.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz‘s Kahol Lavan party said Sunday that it has agreed to postpone the Tuesday deadline to pass Israel‘s 2020 state budget by one week, in a move that could give it more time to negotiate a deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s Likud to avoid what would be a fourth election cycle in two years.
Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz has agreed to curb Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn‘s powers, sources said, in bid to stave off election.
In return, Gantz hopes to cement the rotation agreement for the premiership with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is upheld.
It was unclear whether the High Court could ever strike down a quasi-constitutional basic law, he said. In any event, if it were possible, it would need to be a far more extreme law, implying something criminal or actively undermining democracy, he added.
Furthermore, Mandelblit rejected the notion that the coalition was abusing or ignoring the will of the voter by forming coalitions they had vowed not to form.
(30.11.2020)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to ask the Knesset again for immunity from prosecution in his corruption cases, based on his lawyers’ argument that the criminal investigation against him was flawed and should be reconsidered.
In the past month, the prime minister has told associates that he is weighing the benefits of such a move against the possible damage it could do to his image in public opinion.
The three-judge panel headed by Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman is expected to focus in Sunday’s hearing on Netanyahu‘s claim that he was protected by parliamentary immunity at the time of the filing of the indictments against him. The panel is expected to rule on the issue in the next few weeks because there is no dispute over the facts on this issue.
Uruguay’s Association of Former Political Prisoners (Crysol) Tuesday asked the Senate to withdraw the parliamentary immunity of Gen. Guido Manini so that that he can be tried for crimes committed during the military dictatorship (1973-1985).
Roberts laid out a list of factors for courts to consider when weighing such subpoenas but stressed that the list was not comprehensive, noting how rarely interbranch disputes have come before the court over the nation‘s history.
“Other considerations may be pertinent as well; one case every two centuries does not afford enough experience for an exhaustive list,” the chief justice wrote
The Supreme Court in a split decision on Thursday granted New York state prosecutors access to President Trump’s tax returns, even as it shielded a trove of his financial records from Congress.
The justices upheld a Manhattan district attorney subpoena for eight years of Trump’s financial documents, including his personal and corporate tax returns. But they declined to grant Congress access to records subpoenaed by a trio of Democratic-led House committees.
(26.05.2020)
Less than two years after that flood of cash from the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), Cuomo signed legislation last month quietly shielding hospital and nursing home executives from the threat of lawsuits stemming from the coronavirus outbreak. The provision, inserted into an annual budget bill by Cuomo’s aides, created one of the nation’s most explicit immunity protections for healthcare industry officials, according to legal experts.
Critics say Cuomo removed a key deterrent against nursing home and hospital corporations cutting corners in ways that jeopardize lives.
In an open letter spearheaded by the Players Coalition, an organization launched by NFL players to address social and racial inequities, the group called on lawmakers in Washington to take action on the „unchecked authority of the police.“
Every day that passes provides more proof of the twisted state of Israeli democracy, in which a defendant under criminal indictment leads the government and is a candidate to form the next one.
(26.04.2020)
NSO also claimed that it and Q Cyber are entitled to immunity because they operate in the service of foreign countries. Facebook claims that the Israeli companies are not entitled to such immunity under U.S. law.
While speaking with Journal of the American Medical Association editor Howard Bauchner Wednesday, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said that because the virus doesn’t seem to be mutating much, it’s unlikely people will test positive a second time.
“Generally we know with infections like this, that at least for a reasonable period of time, you’re going to have antibodies that are going to be protective,” Fauci said.
„Attempts are being made across the web to suppress the participation of Arab citizens of Israel,“ said Morshed Bebar, who led the Democratic Bloc investigation.
Bebar said that publication patterns by these fake accounts indicate an organized and systematic operation.“
Netanyahu’s ever-changing campaign slogans and the self-praise he exudes in every rally and interview barely mask the prime minister’s real goal: to avoid prosecution for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The “judicial reforms” promised by the right-wing parties are aimed at aiding one particular, privileged defendant, to save him from facing justice, from the humiliation of appearing in court and perhaps even from imprisonment. To obtain that goal, they will turn the entire legal system into an obedient arm of a right-wing government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed, apparently falsely, during a prime-time television interview on Saturday that reports have described as “leftists” the judges who will preside over the three corruption cases against him, and demanded a denial of the alleged claim.
It is no secret that Netanyahu’s political behavior is almost entirely shaped by his desire to survive in office for as long as possible in order to avoid possible jail time.
Two weeks after the elections, Netanyahu‘s criminal trial on charges of bribery and breach of trust begins. He doesn‘t have to resign unless he is convicted and if that conviction is upheld through the appeals process.
And, once the dust has settled on this election, how does Netanyahu plan to defeat his main rival and his potential nemesis – the Israeli justice system?
Sacoolas killed 19-year-old Harry Dunn after her car crashed head-on with his motorcycle, as she was driving on the wrong side of the road when the accident occurred in August last year.
Netanyahu made his decision public after his chief political rival, Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz – who met with Trump on Monday but decided to skip the release of the peace plan in order to take part in the immunity debate – was already back in Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hours before facing a likely defeat in the Israeli parliament, withdrew his request for official immunity from prosecution on corruption charges Tuesday, giving up a controversial gambit to shield himself from legal peril a month before a national election.
The Yisrael Beiteinu chairman, who according to recent polls could once again be kingmaker and decide the leader of which political bloc would secure the backing of enough lawmakers to become prime minister after Israel‘s March 2 election, added that „Instead of driving two-and-a-half kilometers to the Knesset, he [Netanyahu] prefers to fly 9,500 kilometers to Washington.“
Bashing the premier, Lieberman said: „It‘s clear that Netanyahu worked very hard to escape [the immunity discussions], and it would be best if he kisses his immunity goodbye before he brings peace to the Middle East.“
The Knesset is set to vote next week on forming the panel that will weigh — and likely reject — Netanyahu’s request, with deliberations scheduled to begin at the end of month.
In Likud, the assumption is that Netanyahu himself will not be present at the hearings and may not even send his lawyers, Channel 12 news reported.
Let’s imagine the next scenario: A unity government has been set up in Israel along the lines of President Rivlin’s proposal – which specifies a rotation of the premiership between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz. Donald Trump lays the “deal of the century” on the table. Netanyahu would say this is no time to change a prime minister. This is a historic, one-time opportunity Israel is getting a de facto green light for annexation from the United States.
Speaker of the Israeli Parliament Yuli Edelstein announced Sunday that a full debate in the Knesset plenum will be held next week on establishing a key committee that may strip away Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s immunity from prosecution.
The lawmakers with Likud and other right-wing parties stormed out of the room amid a heated debate on the legality of the gathering, paving the way to a 16-1 vote overruling a prior vote that granted Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein the power to pick members of the House Committee.
At the start of the gathering, panel chair Avi Nissenkorn (Blue & White party) urged lawmakers to abstain from trying to sabotage the discussion on immunity.
It’s a dry procedural vote — technically an overturning of a previous decision of the Arrangements Committee on December 15 reserving that right to the Knesset speaker — but with dramatic consequences.
The Israeli opposition pushed Sunday for parliament to swiftly address Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s immunity request, potentially speeding up the embattled leader’s appearance in court.
As Knesset Speaker, Yuli Edelstein has the authority to block the Knesset Arrangements Committee from meeting, thereby blocking the convening of the House Committee and preventing it from discussing the immunity request.
This is Edelstein’s most important test as an elected official: Will he be faithful to his position as Knesset speaker, or will he be faithful to the man who has decided to hold the country hostage?
By requesting immunity Netanyahu hopes to postpone all of this until after the March 2 election. But he knows from all the incessant polling he has carried out that this is a hard sell, even among his right-wing base. In recent days, he tried to float his “immunity is a cornerstone of democracy” canard, but it didn’t fly.
According to Israeli law, the Knesset House Committee is to discuss his request and should it be approved, the request will need to pass a vote by the Knesset plenum.
However, since the House Committee has not been appointed since the April general election, and is not expected to be assembled before the upcoming March election, the discussion will only take place in several months. Until the committee makes a decision, an indictment against Netanyahu can‘t be handed officially to the court.
Israel’s incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s deadline to formally request immunity from Knesset (Israeli parliament) Speaker Yuli Edelstein expires Wednesday night.
It is expected that Netanyahu will opt for protection from prosecution in three corruption cases against him, Hebrew media reported.
Netanyahu has said he will announce this week whether he will seek parliamentary immunity from prosecution. The survey found that just 33 percent supporting such a move and 51% oppose it — indicating that there is significant objection even within the right.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has added a new definition to the language he’s invented, which he is using to distort reality. On Saturday night he said that his appeal to the Knesset to grant him immunity “would not be avoiding standing trial.” As is his wont, Netanyahu is trying to confuse the public and plant doubts regarding what is self-evident, whether this applies to norms of governance, social norms or dictionary definitions. All of this is meant to garner public support for his reckless conduct and his flight from the arm of the law.
Channel 12 reported earlier this month that Israel‘s longest-serving premier will request immunity by the end of December.
Republicans — historically the strongest defenders of the national security apparatus — complain about abuse of power and the malignant influence of a so-called ‘Deep State.’
Democrats — traditionally more skeptical of the intelligence community — insist that the agencies are virtually beyond reproach.
On Monday, President Trump retweeted someone who called the FBI and the media “a criminal organization” and “tyrants.”