Oren Hazan (Likud) has managed to make himself the most familiar newly-elected Member of Knesset, with is colorful personality and street theater-like performance in and out of the plenum. He was accused of joking at the expense of a disabled MK from Labor, had an in-your-face shouting match with an anti-Israel Arab MK, and conned a visiting President Trump into sharing a selfie. There was also his rich past as the manager of a casino in Bulgaria that gave him a head start in the media over other new lawmakers. So much so that he has gathered a lot of support among Likud’s more rightwing rank and file, which means he is bound to score a good spot on Likud’s election list come next primary.
And so, according to reports in Israel’s media on Monday, the powers that be in government have decided to take the noisy newcomer down a few pegs, possibly even tangle him up in a criminal indictment to make him illegible for running.
Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit on Monday announced on Monday that he plans to file an indictment against MK Oren Hazan for assaulting a public servant, insulting a public servant and improper behavior in a public place. A notice regarding the indictment was delivered to Hazan, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) and Knesset House Committee Chairman Yoav Kish (Likud).
The AG’s statement said that according to the Knesset Immunity Law, Hazan has 30 days to request that the Knesset determine his immunity from criminal proceedings.
According to the anticipated indictment, Hazan arrived at the Ariel municipality offices in October 2014 following the foreclosure of a bank account belonging to his mother, Aviva Hazan. As a result, she was unable to pay property taxes for the Hazan family’s meat restaurant. Hazan, who was yet to be elected to the Knesset, arrived to find out who was behind the decision to foreclose.
When Hazan realized that the person in charge was the municipality’s CEO Avi Ezer, he waited for him in the City Hall plaza, and when Ezer arrived, Hazan approached him, handed him documents and shouted obscenities at him. According to the indictment, he did not stop shouting and cursing the CEO, threatening him: “[expletive], son of [expletive], I’ll throw you out of here.”
Ezer ignored Hazan’s curses, but the latter clung to him with his body and pushed him.
“Later, as the CEO climbed the steps of the conference room,” the expected indictment continues, Hazan “clung to him again and pushed him hard with his hands until the CEO hit the banister.” Then, in the conference room, Hazan “continued shouting and cursing until he was removed from the site.”
Hazan then went to the mayor’s office, burst into his room and began yelling and cursing. The mayor ordered Hazan to leave his office, but he refused, threatening to “take care” of the mayor and ensure that he won’t sit in his chair anymore,” the indictment is expected to state.
Hazan’s attorneys issued a statement saying they were disappointed and astonished at the decision of the Attorney General to indict MK Hazan for an argument that took place years ago between two politicians, long before Hazan was elected to the Knesset. They suggested what gave life to the case against Hazan years later was the fact that he is an MK and as such not particularly loved by the Likud establishment.
“It’s important to remember – this is a case in which mutual complaints have been filed by the politicians involved, and in the end it is a matter bordering on triviality,” Hazan’s lawyers stressed.
