Holy Holyland Corruption, Batman

Cartoon credit: the amazing Shay Charka.

With every passing day, new names are publicized as suspects in Israel's largest corruption scandal, ever. The "Holyland" building complex in Jerusalem is a terrible eye-sore, and no one can possibly drive by it without wondering, "how in the world was such a monstrosity ever approved to be built, totally ruining Jerusalem's skyline?"

The answer obviously, corruption.

As the police dredges through the sewers of Israel's past and present politicians, the scandal has grown to include other real-estate projects through the country, including "Tzuk Manara" near Kiryat Shmona and the Dead Sea Hotel district.

To date the following names have been publicized as suspects and/or connected to the case.

- R' Ovadia Yosef, Shas Spiritual Leader [source]
- Foreign Minister, MK Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) [source]
- MK Ruhama Avraham (Kadima) [source]
- past-MK Danny Naveh (Likud) [source]
- past-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (Kadima) [source]
- Shula Zaken (Olmert's office manager) [source]
- Attorney Uri Messer (long-time confidante, senior Olmert aide) [source]
- Meir Rabin (Chareid Askan) [source]
- Uri Lupolianski (Former Jerusalem mayor, UTJ) [source]
- Yehoshua Pollack (former Jerusalem deputy mayor, UTJ) [source]
- Yaakov Efrati (former Israel Lands Authority chairman) [source]
- Dan Dankner (former Bank Hapoalim chairman and former Israel Salt Industries owner) [source]
- Eli Simhayoff (former Jerusalem deputy mayor, director of the Danya Cebus construction company) [source]

Additional names that have popped up as secondary connections.

- Aliza Olmert, wife of former PM, Ehud Olmert. Were her lame paintings sold for thousands, as a means of giving Ehud Olmert a cash infusion? Leading businessmen reportedly own her paintings, including Alrov tycoon and chairman Alfred Akirov, Dov Lautman, and Adv. Ram Caspi. [source]

- Supreme Court Justice Edna Arbel. She's good friends with Uri Messer's wife...and also owns a luxury apartment in the Holyland building monstrosity. [source]

Don't forget, there's the censored, media blackout on the State's Witness, reportedly a senior member of Israel law-enforcement or judiciary branches...I can't print this person's name yet, or provide any hints as to their identity.

Of course, everyone is innocent till proven guilty; except for Ehud Olmert.

Stay tuned - many more names to come...

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The Apocalypse: Feds arrive in Israel

This particular issue has the potential to put the recent money laundering arrests in NJ in its back pocket.

The Mishpacha Hebrew edition reports today -- US Federal Agents arrive in Israel to investigate possible fraudulent US/IRS tax rebates and citizenship/naturalization claims.

The article is all in Hebrew, but here are some salient points: (click images on the right to see them full-sized)

• US federal government is in pursuit of those who "provide incorrect information and receive from the US IRS income tax rebates."
• 13 IRS investigators from the US have arrived in Israel to verify the authenticity of existing documentation
• Department heads familiar with the subject: The investigation will go on for a long time, and whoever submitted incorrect information will find themselves sued to return the money [and face criminal prosecution]
• "The public does not understand the enormity of the problems involved," said one of the company owners that are experts in advancing US citizenship to individuals and families.

"The rumors flew about. The long arm of the US federal government had reached Israel to investigate Israelis with US citizenship who claim IRS tax rebates when they are not entitled to them for various reasons."

In a simplistic nutshell, any dual citizen of the US and Israel who earns annually in excess of certain amounts [$11,750 for '07 and $8,500 for '08] is entitled to a 15% IRS rebate of the excess, up to $1000 per child under the age of 17.

Experts told Mishpacha magazine that while its' legal to (a) get US citizenship for children and (b) request retroactive IRS refunds for up to 3 years -- one may not request a refund for a child retroactively if the child only received citizenship now. Apparently, less than scrupulous accountants and tax preparers have filed claims of this type.

Additionally, in order to receive the "maximum" tax rebate of $1000 per child, the familiy's income must reach a certain level/threshold. The IRS will be investigating whether the reported income filed with the IRS matches what has been reported to Israel's tax agency (mas hachnasa).

As a result of the investigation, tens of thousands of families may find themselves under IRS scrutiny, and those that illegally received US citizenship, illegally filed for tax rebates, or supplied incorrect information will find themselves forced to return the money, with penalties and interests in the best of cases, and in the worst case, find themselves imprisoned with large fines as well.

I did warn you to file the FBAR...

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד