Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to face another round of questioning in Case 1,000, which focuses on alleged illicit receipt of gifts, regarding suspicions that he allegedly took bribes from businessman Arnon Milchan. After Milchan was questioned under caution in London last week, investigators in the case realized that they had evidence to indict Netanyahu, whom Milchan accused of acts constituting fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes. Law enforcement officials are claiming that by questioning Milchan, police "achieved their goal in full, and with great success." Although Milchan was questioned as a suspect in allegedly offering bribes, Channel 2 reported Wednesday that the police did not intend to pursue an indictment. Milchan had previously testified about presents he gave the prime minister and his wife, including cigars, champagne, and jewelry. Investigators dismissed Netanyahu's claim that the gifts were presents from friends, arguing that the value of the gifts was greater than the statute on gifts to public officials allowed, and tried to find evidence supporting the suspicion that the gifts had been given in exchange for something. It is still unclear what that "something" might have been, if it existed, but one suspicion is that Milchan gave the Netanyahus gifts valued at hundreds of thousands of shekels in an attempt to promote his business interests, such as a sale of shares in Channel 10 to British-American billionaire Len Blavatnik , which Netanyahu took steps to greenlight, and from which Milchan profited. Police suspect that Netanyahu persuaded Blavatnik to acquire the shares in Channel 10, seeking to benefit Milchan. In August, investigators carried out a judicial inquiry against Blavatnik in England. Officials think that the Case 1,000 investigation will soon come to an end. Head of Investigations and Intelligence in the Israel Police, Maj. Gen. Meni Yitzhaki, who has been overseeing the case since it was launched, is scheduled to retire shortly after the upcoming High Holidays. He was originally expected to retire at the beginning of the year, but was asked to stay until the investigations into Case 1,000 and Case 2,000 -- which involves conversations between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth owner Noni Mozes on a suspected deal for more favorable coverage of the prime minister in exchange for steps against Israel Hayom -- were complete. However, the investigations are taking longer than expected. For the past few months, Yitzhaki has been taking care to introduce his appointed successor, Gadi Sisso, to the case material. Sisso is already up to speed and is helping oversee them along with commander of the Lahav 443 Major Crimes Unit, Maj. Gen. Roni Ritman. The police denied on Wednesday reports that Ritman had objected to questioning Milchan. Police officials claim that after Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit gave approval to question Milchan in London, meetings were held on how the questioning would be conducted. During one of those meetings, Ritman supposedly disagreed with other officials, but after the decision was made, Ritman threw his support behind it. Sources close to Netanyahu said Wednesday that "any attempt to taint the deep, yearslong friendship between the prime minister and Arnon Milchan is baseless, and destined to fail. We say, once again, they won't find anything because there is nothing to find." While the case of suspected graft and illicit gifts might be nearing an end, an investigation into irregularities in Israel's acquisition of submarines and other naval vessels from a German shipyard, dubbed "Case 3,000," will take another year to complete, police are saying. Law enforcement officials say that the probe into the finances of the case is complex and that the testimony of state's witness Miki Ganor has yielded "a mountain" of information and documents that must be investigated. In addition, the Israel Police are trying to secure another state's witness in the case, and more arrests are on the horizon. Over the past few days, a number of senior officials in the political and military sectors -- including former commander of the Israeli Navy Vice Adm. (ret.) Eliezer Marom, former commander of the Shayetet 13 naval commandos Brig. Gen. (res.) Shai Brosh, and former minister Eliezer Sandberg -- were arrested and remanded in connection with the case. The name of Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz also popped up after his close associates Rami Tayeb and David Sharan were arrested and questioned. Steinitz himself was expected to be deposed regarding the case. The energy minister denied any involvement in the case.
