District Court upholds quashing of conviction of former Hadera mayor Zvika Gendelman

The Haifa District Court upheld the quashing of the conviction of former Hadera mayor Zvika Gendelman for dereliction of duty, after the prosecution agreed due to his exceptional circumstances. The sentence remains: 250 hours of community service and a financial commitment.

The Haifa District Court upheld the quashing of the conviction of former Hadera mayor, Brigadier General (res.) Zvika Gendelman, for dereliction of duty. This followed the prosecution's appeal against the Haifa Magistrate's Court decision to acquit him, demanding a six-month prison sentence in community service. Under the agreement, the conviction quashing remains in effect, and the sentence includes 250 hours of community service and a financial commitment of 50,000 shekels to refrain from a similar offense for three years. However, the Magistrate Court's reasoning and findings were annulled, except for the operative result. The prosecution agreed to uphold the decision "due to his exceptional circumstances." The criminal proceedings concerned his ties with real estate developer Shmuel ("Sami") Levy, who assisted his election, and Gendelman's failure to report this connection or recuse himself from handling Levy's affairs. Gendelman's attorneys stated that the case has ended definitively and that "justice has been done with him today."