Former Justice Minister Haim Ramon confronted journalist Ben Caspit on a morning broadcast (Thursday) on 103FM, who claimed that his criticism of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit's conduct in Netanyahu's cases was illegitimate.
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Haim Ramon: "Mandelblit appreciated Netanyahu for a very long time, and he made concessions to him even after he was appointed to the position, until the indictment was filed. He did not file an indictment against him for bribery offenses, which almost all the prosecutors wanted in Case 1000, and he put him on trial for bribery in Case 4000, when Raz Nizri said, 'When we plow a field that has not been plowed, it is appropriate that the blades be very strong, and they certainly were not that strong.'".
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""From a certain point, and I know this, around the end of 2018, the beginning of 2019, he changed his mind and even then saw him as a factor endangering democracy in Israel. He said this to certain elements, and one of them also told me this.".
According to him, from the moment Mandelblit said these things and they were published publicly, he is forbidden to touch any matter related to Netanyahu. "He is the lead prosecutor in the Netanyahu case, and he cannot deal with a person he thinks is a danger to democracy, and that is a legitimate thought of a politician and a journalist.".
The former justice minister added: "It seems to me that someone in the studio thinks that way, and I think Netanyahu is endangering democracy by making a binational state here, but we are all politicians and we are allowed to say anything.".
He emphasized: "A person who heads the prosecution system, which is prosecuting the defendant Netanyahu, should suspend himself from all cases involving Netanyahu from the moment this was published.".
Are you aware that he is no longer a therapist?
""There is no such thing. A case of this magnitude is monitored and reported.".
Should everyone who has an opinion disqualify themselves?
""This is an opinion that if I reach, I am a suspect. Imagine if a judge were to speak out and say that Netanyahu endangers democracy - would you think he could judge him? No. Same thing, Mandelblit.".
The very fact that he filed an indictment proves that he thinks Netanyahu is a criminal - maybe he should be disqualified for that too?
""No. If a prosecutor general thinks that an indictment should be filed against a person because the evidence points to it and there is a reasonable chance of conviction, he has a duty to do so. But if he thinks that the person is dangerous to democracy and the DNA of the Jewish people - such a person is important for extraneous considerations. He suspects that I will prosecute such a person in order to save the people of Israel, and from all his conduct since then, one can also understand why he lies, when he comes and says, 'There is no basis for the claims of pressure exerted on state witnesses in the Netanyahu cases,' and he comes and defends the interrogation exercise and assigns Lahav 433 to investigate him, and does nothing after David Rosen says that a heavy cloud is hanging over the prosecution regarding the interrogation exercises. So I think that Mandelblit does not want to rescue even when the facts prove otherwise a person who is a danger to the Jewish people and democracy in Israel.".
Yinon Magal: "I remind you that he (the Attorney General) decided this week that Netanyahu should return money to his cousin.".
Ramon: "It's forbidden. It's a built-in conflict of interest. He's a suspect in everything now.".
Caspit: "What's left now are stupid procedures on whether to return the money or not.".
Ramon: "It's not stupid.".
Caspit: "I think so.".
Ramon: "Give me a moment and I'll explain why not.".
Caspit: "I think you're completely incompetent. I didn't think you should be put on the air today, because you're leading a crazy jihad campaign. Your opinion on this subject is irrelevant to me.".
Ramon: "Your mind has become confused about you due to your hatred for Netanyahu. You have lost your judgment. You know very well and you know better than anyone that the prosecutor's office has closed the case. You know that three district judges ruled that they negligently touched my case with malice, not me.".
Caspit: "Chaim Ramon is a jihad manager.".
Ramon: "Everything I know about the Attorney General's Office I learned from you. In my book there are dozens of quotes in which you speak and attack the Attorney General's Office, including in my trial and Olmert's. But hatred for Netanyahu has taken over your mind, turning you into a defender of all the injustices that the Attorney General's Office is committing from now until further notice. Therefore, every time you are unable to argue with what I say, you try to disqualify those who say that you agreed with me in real time about all the things that were done to me.
""But what is the madness of your hatred and the jihad you are waging against Netanyahu, not in a substantive manner and on substantive issues but on personal issues, they are crazy. Now the madness is coming to expression.".
Caspit: "I accept that you say I am hatred and madness. Thank God, everything I have been revealing about Netanyahu and his family for 25 years is now coming out.".
Ramon: "I didn't argue with you about the other things.".
Caspit: "My opinion on the prosecution is...""
Ramon: "Just don't tell me I'm speaking from a position because that's not true.".
Caspit: "Chaim, be quiet for a moment, you have just defamed me and I will answer for it.".
Ramon: "What do you want? You defame me and I won't defame you? You thought I was right and I was wronged, and you are abandoning human rights and the rights of the accused in the State of Israel based on hatred for Netanyahu.".
Caspit: "You know how dangerous Netanyahu is to this country and to democracy, unfortunately.".
Ramon: "I said it, not you, but you can't use it.".
Magal: "You had to take him and make a provocation, because he thinks that Netanyahu is being wronged.".
Caspit: "I'll take him there every time you put him on air. Every time.".
Ramon: "And I'll take you for changing your mind because of Netanyahu. You supported me during the trial and said that the prosecution was corrupt.".
Caspit: "I am still in favor of the reforms in the prosecutor's office that Netanyahu did not make.".
