Neeman's Banana Republic

Mordechai Gilat

Whomever in the past year has not understood why Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman despises State Attorney Moshe Lador; whomever has not understood why Neeman does not hold dear those with the type of fortitude such as Lador has; whomever has not understood why this minister is trying to weaken law enforcement instead of strengthening it – got their answer Thursday with the indictment in the Holyland case. An answer that spans across dozens of pages and says, in essence, everything. Neeman will not deny it: he does not like indictments such as these. He does not like uncompromising war against white collar criminals. He does not like attorneys and police investigators who uphold the "Buzaglo Test" (an idiom in Israel referring to equality between Ashkenazim and Sephardim). He does not like professional police officers and attorneys who put his friends on trial – the privileged, bankers, contractors and all other three-piece suit types. They are not his cup of tea. They are not even his cup of water.

Indeed, in the justice minister's twisted world view the state attorney is a blemish. Blemish, blemish, blemish – not a flower, not a ray of light, not someone who defends the pockets and rights of the tiny citizen; not someone who is cleaning house. Forget about it.

Lador is the enemy and the indictment teaches us that the enemy once again is following the truth to the end. A former prime minister, a former bank chairman, self-important businessmen and swanky contractors – those whose world revolves around airports, first class travel, nauseating cocktails and luxury sweets abroad and in Israel – they are all equal in his eyes. One verdict for all.

One reads the 80-page indictment, which is a summary of the frightening evidence in this vast case and asks: where did all of this take place – in Uganda? In Tunisia? In Columbia? In the Congo? In Yemen? Perhaps in Gadhafi's Libya before he was executed?

No, wrong, it happened in Israel. A prime minister receives a bribe and mediates in another bribe to advance a monstrosity of a project? The chairman of the largest bank in the country funnels millions of shekels of bribe money into a mediator's pockets so that he will advance an important deal for him? Entrepreneurs lavish a mayor and his deputy with money and valuables. The head of the Israel Land's Authority is neck deep in this grave fraud? Some of the gatekeepers sell their honor in exchange for greed and money?

You read the indictment and you cannot believe your eyes. If only one percent of what is written in the indictment is true; if only one percent of the state witness' claims can be proven – then we really are living in a banana republic. We are in trouble because the seeds of corruption were planted in the soil of crime 15 years ago, and only discovered two years ago. We are in trouble because at hand is apparently a crime with tentacles the likes of which we have not known before; and because some of the people who for years ran the country are the heroes of this affair.

I recall the deputy president of the Magistrates Court in Rishon Lezion, Avraham Hyman, who heard most of the police's arrest requests, read the astounding evidence in the files and ruled in his decision that at hand is a monstrosity of a case, among the most severe the country has known. I remember the criticism he received and the proverbial shots fired his way.

People that had not even an inkling of an idea as to the confessions and what the files contained; what was seized at the banks; who gave up what and when; what Yossi Olmert. the former PM's brother, received and how much money the state witness poured into Shula Zaken's pockets – charged blindly at his honor. They criticized, insulted, belittled him for exaggerating, as if he inflated the case, as if he went too far.

Well, no. The honorable Judge Hyman reported the suspicions correctly. He did not deserve those arrows of criticism. Someone must now stand, say they were wrong and ask for forgiveness. It's about time.