Report: Harow denies he's 'turning' on Netanyahu
Channel 2 News reports statements allegedly said by former Netanyahu confidant-turned-state witness Ari Harow insisting he never committed any offence and claiming case bears no similarities with Ehud Olmert corruption trials; ‘It’s not like I broke the law with PM and now I am looking to pin it on him to avoid punishment.’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's former chief of staff and confidant Ari Harow has reportedly denied that by collaborating with investigators in a string of corruption probes against his former boss he is blaming any joint violations of the law on Netanyahu.
According to a report on Channel 2 News, Harow, who on Friday inked an agreement to become a state witness against Netanyahu, recently told a close associate that the case bore no resemblance to that of the corruption investigations launched against former prime minister Ehud Olmert in which his former chief of staff Shula Zaken testified against him in legal proceedings that concluded with his incarceration.
“It’s not similar to Shula Zaken. It isn’t like I broke the law with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and now I am looking to pin it on him in order to avoid punishment,” Harow reportedly said.
“They are accusing me of a transgression unconnected with the prime minister and one that in my opinion I didn’t do. The choice isn’t whether I go or he goes to jail, but rather whether I go to jail for no reason or not,” said Harow.
According to the details of the deal, Harow—himself facing charges of bribery, breach of trust, conflict of interest and fraudulently obtaining benefits—made his testimony conditional upon mitigating a punishment that would have entailed a prison sentence.
Harnessing that leverage against him, police managed to pressure Harow into accepting a deal according to which he will be convicted of breach of trust, serve a community service sentence lasting half a year—rather than prison sentence—and pay a fine of NIS 700,000.
"The image of a state witness as someone from inside who comes and turns on his boss isn’t correct (in my case). Case 2000 (regarding conversations Netanyahu held with Yedioth Ahronoth owner Arnon Mozes to receive more favorable coverage from the Israeli daily) isn’t a matter I started. It is something that happened against my will when I worked there,” he allegedly said.
“Whether I speak to the police or not is not relevant. It will take time, but in the end people will realize that I am not what they think I am under the title of ‘state witness’—not in the crimes they are blaming me for or the agreement I signed.”
Regarding the information he provided thus far, Harow said: “I did not think at the time that these were criminal offenses, and even now I don’t. That’s why the claim that I am ‘ratting on Netanyahu’ is incorrect. I am not capable of such a thing.”
According to the report, when asked about his tenure as Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Harow said: “I came to serve twice in the prime minister’s bureau out of sense of Zionism because they called me. That is the reason I moved to Israel and that I am raising my children here. I am proud of the time I served the public under Netanyahu and I have nothing to be ashamed of.”
