A weekly newsletter monitoring key issues in the new media of Israel 12-15 November 2017

The current issue deals with the period between 12-15 November 2017, where the virtual Israeli world has been occupied by a number of topics that began with a series of investigations with the family of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This concern comes in light of a marked acceleration in the pace of investigations, where a forthcoming court is scheduled for PM Netanyahu next Sunday, the latter coming in subsequence of a six- investigation round, alleging suspicions of corruption based on the evidence collected.

On Tuesday, a new witness testified before the Israeli police regarding the case known as the "The 1000 case" concerning Netanyahu and his wife Sara receiving gifts and bribes worth thousands of dollars.

Furthermore, the statement of the leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Avi Gabbai, in which he said that "the left forgot the meaning of being Jewish," has generated widespread reactions in the Israeli virtual world, especially since it resembled a phrase whispered by Netanyahu in the ear of Rabbi Kadouri over 20 years ago, as a way to condemn the "left" camp at the time.

The virtual world also addressed the recommendations of the Public Prosecutor's Office by presenting Bentsi Geoffstein for trial on the basis of his statements and summoning him to testify with his sayings at a prosecution hearing prior to a trial on charges of incitement. Geoffstein is suspected of incitement to violence, racism, terrorism and the obstruction of justice.

The virtual world was divided into two sides, those who supported the filing of the indictment against Geoffstein, and the other which conceived the matter as a political pursuit of views and attitudes aiming to preserve the Jewish image of the state.