Defense Minister Ganz orders inquiry into submarine affair

Kahol Lavan leader, defense minister Benny Gantz has set up a panel to investigate alleged irregularities in the IDF’s purchase of submarines from the German Thyssenkrupp five years ago. The opposition and media persist in tying PM Binyamin Netanyahu in with the suspected illegal dealings under investigation in the affair, although, last month, the attorney general and state prosecutor acquitted Netanyahu of any involvement in those dealings. Last week,  AG Avichai Mandelblit announced he was closing the case against him.

Likud member Education Minister Yoav Galant, who was a senior Navy officer at the time of the submarines deal, told TV12 News on Sunday that the Ganz panel had nothing to investigate, since Netanyahu bore no responsibility for the transaction. Galant accused the defense minister of pulling a fake suspicion out of his hat for political ends at a time that his party was in revolt against his leadership.