Middleman Admits Bribery of Former Presidential Aide
Translated & summarized from Bizportal by baba
Middleman Zeed Hamdan has been convicted of bribing Ze'ev Dolinsky, a former aide to President Reuven Rivlin, with at least 6,000 shekels in 2018. Hamdan confessed to using Dolinsky's influence for personal and client matters, including permits and visas. The prosecution and defense are seeking a 6.5-month community service sentence for Hamdan. Dolinsky faces separate charges of accepting millions in bribes for business ventures and government dealings, which he denies.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Middleman Zeed Hamdan admitted to bribing former presidential aide Ze'ev Dolinsky with at least 6,000 shekels.
- Hamdan and the prosecution are seeking a 6.5-month community service sentence for the bribery conviction.
- Dolinsky, who served Rivlin for 20 years, is accused of accepting millions in bribes for business and government favors.
- Hamdan used Dolinsky's influence for permits, visas, and professional advancements for himself and clients.
- Another defendant, Nissim Cohen, received a 22-month prison sentence for bribery and money laundering.
- Dolinsky denies all charges against him as his trial continues.
Zeed Hamdan, a middleman, has pleaded guilty and been convicted of bribing Ze'ev Dolinsky, who served for 20 years as the personal assistant to former President Reuven Rivlin. The prosecution and defense are jointly recommending a sentence of 6.5 months of community service for Hamdan, a lenient penalty for bribery offenses due to the limited scope of the bribe and Hamdan's confession. The two men met through their involvement in the Likud party. Rivlin is not suspected of any wrongdoing and was not asked to testify.
According to the amended indictment, Hamdan used his connections with Dolinsky to advance his own interests and those of his clients. Hamdan paid Dolinsky bribes in exchange for assistance with matters including obtaining a hunting rifle permit, establishing a gas station, arranging entry visas for individuals from Abu Dhabi and Jordan, facilitating a medical internship, promoting a doctor's grant application, expediting an Israeli passport for a client, and intervening in appeals regarding licensing exams for occupational therapists. Hamdan admitted to giving Dolinsky at least 6,000 shekels in 2018, when Dolinsky was a general advisor to Rivlin.
Earlier this year, Nissim Cohen, a former parliamentary assistant to MK Yitzhak Vaknin, was sentenced to 22 months in prison for bribery and money laundering offenses as part of the same investigation. The trials of other defendants, notably Dolinsky, are ongoing. Dolinsky is accused of exploiting his position and public role at the President's Residence to promote private business ventures, including hepatitis and medical cannabis projects with businessman Adam Schuster, while concealing his involvement and partnership, in exchange for 6 million shekels in bribes. He is also alleged to have demanded 100,000 shekels for assistance in establishing a recycling plant and accepted various sums for advancing private interests with government ministries and officials on issues such as visas, pardons, medical licensing, and gas stations. Dolinsky denies these accusations.
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