Haifa Court Convicts Businessman of Bribery in Former Presidential Advisor Case
Haifa District Court convicted Mazid Hamdan of bribing former presidential advisor Zeev Dolinsky. Hamdan received a plea deal for six and a half months of community service.
The Haifa District Court convicted Mazid Hamdan of bribery involving Zeev Dolinsky, the former senior advisor to President Reuven Rivlin. Under a plea deal, Hamdan admitted to paying at least 6,000 shekels in exchange for advancing business interests and lobbying government bodies.
Bribery for Influence
Between 2018 and 2020, Hamdan utilized his long-standing ties with Dolinsky—forged through their mutual activity in the Likud party—to push through requests regarding planning and construction, official licenses, entry visas, and medical issues. Dolinsky reportedly leveraged his public position to assist with these administrative matters.
In another instance, Hamdan and co-defendant Marwan Rian bribed Dolinsky to manipulate medical licensing board exam appeals for relatives. Judge Mohammad Ali convicted Hamdan based on his confession, with the plea agreement proposing six and a half months of community service, probation, and a fine.
Previous Convictions in the Case
Earlier this year, Nissim Cohen, a former parliamentary aide, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for taking bribes and money laundering, a sentence later shortened to 22 months by the Supreme Court.
