Bribery Case Against Upper Nazareth Mayor Closed

A major bribery case against suspended Nazareth Mayor Shimon Gapso is being closed for lack of evidence, prosecutors announced yesterday. Gapso was suspected of accepting a 300,000 shekel ($80,000) bribe from a local businessman who had turned state’s witness. But at a hearing last year before former state prosecutor Moshe Lador, the mayor raised questions about the motives of the state’s witness, and further probing strengthened Gapso’s claims. “After weighing all the relevant considerations, it was decided that there was not enough evidence to justify an indictment,” the announcement said. Gapso still faces election-related bribery charges.

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Lod appointment canceled for candidate’s alleged racism

The Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court earlier this week voided the appointment of Aharon Atias as Lod city manager. The court ruled on an appeal submitted by Lod resident Assad Dibasi, a former city project coordinator for the Arab sector, who claimed that Atias had a racist worldview that he expressed verbally and through actions he had taken against the city’s Arab population. Dibasi submitted press clippings in which Atias was quoted as supporting segregation between Arabs and Jews. The attorney general also weighed in, saying that based on evidence he’d seen, “there is difficulty appointing such a person to this position.”