Businessman David Davidovich, who is close to oligarch Roman Abramovich and has previously tried to acquire control of the Globes newspaper for NIS 110 million, is suing Bank Hapoalim, Calcalist reported. According to him, the bank decided “in an instant, without any prior notice, to block his bank account.” Davidovich, who has been considered an Israeli citizen for 31 years and is now in Latvia, claims that after the blockade he was left “without a credit card (blocked) and without an active bank account.”
Davidovich’s request was submitted by Adv. Shmulik Cassuto and Adv. Bella Peled, in which he claims that “the bank’s action was carried out with blind adoption – without any independent examination of the sanctions imposed by the British government on various factors following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “, Which is also contrary to the policy of the Israeli government not to impose similar sanctions on Israeli citizens, as part of a set of considerations of policy and national security.”
Davidovich is in fact requesting that the Tel Aviv District Court issue a temporary restraining order instructing the bank to refrain from blocking his account for any activity and to prepare a new credit card for him immediately.
In the past, Forbes magazine in the Russian version estimated Davidovich’s fortune at about $ 700 million. The application submitted to the court indicates that Davidovich has an apartment in Israel in which he lives at the time he is in Israel.
In addition, Davidovich’s lawyers claimed that there was no connection to the Russian regime, and therefore these measures should not be directed against him: “Davidovich has businesses in Israel, and among other things he invests in a number of Israeli start-ups. He also has businesses in Europe, the United States and England. However, he does not have any business in Russia. It will be clarified that he has no criminal proceedings against him, neither in Israel nor anywhere else in the world, and he is not under investigation anywhere in the world. It will be clarified that the sanctions imposed by the UK government “Terrorism is but part of Britain’s attempt to put pressure on the Russian government over the Russia – Ukraine conflict. Davidovich is not close to the Russian government, he does not personally know the Russian president or any minister in the Russian government.”
In the application, Davidovich claims that he is a businessman who lives on the axis between Israel and London and, among other things, also has businesses outside Israel. Last Sunday, it was alleged, Davidovich tried to withdraw money at an ATM from his Israeli account by using his credit card, but the card was swallowed. “Davidovich immediately contacted his bank branch to find out the matter. Then he learned to his astonishment, from the bank’s representative, that his credit card had been canceled and that his bank account had been blocked in a way that did not allow him to use the funds deposited. “Because of the sanctions imposed on him by the British government (and not by the Israeli government).” The blocking of Davidovich’s account and the cancellation of his credit card was not preceded by any announcement or warning on behalf of the bank, “it was claimed.
It was further argued that a review of the UK Government’s decision, to which the Bank referred, shows that the basis for imposing sanctions is in an attempt to influence the Russian state to cease its activities in Ukraine by exerting pressure on various entities. “Explicitly not to impose similar sanctions on Israeli citizens, for broad considerations of policy and national security.”
It was further alleged that “Davidovich was notified of the blocking of his account after flying to Riga in Latvia. Upon landing in Riga he found himself in a foreign country, with no money in his possession and no means of paying for basic necessities such as accommodation, food and transport”.
Bank Hapoalim responded: “The bank operates in accordance with the international sanctions regime as required in Israel and the Western world. For reasons of banking secrecy, we will not be able to address the specific case.”