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Israeli Navy chief rejects anti-Netanyahu allegations in German submarine case

Sharvit slammed allegations that some of the Thyssenkrupp submarines and ships were needlessly purchased.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

The head of the Israeli Navy questioned many of the central tenants of Case 3000 during a TV interview on Thursday.

Case 3000, commonly referred to as the submarine affair, alleges that multibillion shekel purchases of ships and submarines from German company Thyssenkrupp were rife with bribery and kickbacks.

General Eli Sharvit, Commander of the Israeli Navy, spoke out in an interview with Channel 13 News and seemed to contradict much of the narrative surrounding the matter.

He said that Thyssenkrupp submarines and vessels were purchased due to their high quality, and that the relationship between Israel’s Navy and the German shipbuilder stretch back longer than the period of potential wrongdoing.

While Sharvit never directly mentioned Case 3000, he said, “We’ve been buying submarines from [Thyssenkrupp] for decades. Their manufacturing standards are wonderful.”

Sharvit slammed allegations that some of the Thyssenkrupp submarines and ships were needlessly purchased. The idea that the Israeli government forced a tool on the Navy was absurd, he said.

“I’ve never seen them forcing [a tool] on the army. I’ve never heard of something like that. If we don’t want something, we don’t get it. We wanted [Thyssenkrupp submarines], we personalized and ordered them to our exact specifications. That’s what we wanted!

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“Nobody decided this for us…we decided for ourselves. The reality they’re trying to create, that these vessels – the submarines and the ships – are unnecessary and were forced on us… this is a reality that doesn’t exist.

“We chose these vessels, they are tailor-made for their mission, and we worked hard on them for years.”

While Netanyahu himself has not been investigated in the matter, many of his close associates, including current Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz and former head of the Israeli Navy Eliezer Marom, are facing charges in the case.

Netanyahu’s second cousin, attorney David Shimron, was charged with money laundering as part of Case 3000.

In late November, Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced the creation of an official government committee of inquiry that would specifically investigate Netanyahu’s role in the submarine scandal.