The state commission of inquiry into the submarine affair, a more than decade-old political scandal, said Sunday that it had found “systemic failings” in Israel’s acquisition of naval vessels under a previous Benjamin Netanyahu-led government.

The commission of inquiry also found failings in the sale of naval vessels to Egypt by Germany with Israel’s approval, which it said endangered national security.

The so-called submarine affair, also known as Case 3000, revolves around allegations of a massive bribery scheme in the multibillion-shekel state purchase of naval vessels from German shipbuilder Thyssenkrupp in the early 2010s. The case led to a number of indictments against close confidants of Netanyahu, but not the premier himself.

Israel purchased the vessels from Thyssenkrupp in a series of murky deals worth some $2 billion that have been under scrutiny for possible corruption and bribery.

The state commission of inquiry was established in 2022 during then-prime minister Naftali Bennett’s tenure, to examine submarine and naval vessel purchases that occurred on Netanyahu’s watch and the sale by the German Thyssenkrupp company of submarines and naval vessels to Egypt with Netanyahu’s apparent approval.

In its finding issued Sunday, the commission said that Israeli governments had failed to establish clear policies and strategy, made case-specific decisions, and ignored the broader picture of the country’s security requirements “in a manner that endangered state........

© The Times of Israel