Arnon Milchan Allegedly Lobbied John Kerry For Visa Through Israel PM

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly lobbied U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to renew friend Arnon Milchan’s visa, according to a report by Channel 10 in Bibi’s home country.

Milchan (pictured above) is a Hollywood heavyweight, the New Regency owner behind “The Revenant,” “12 Years a Slave,” “The Big Short” and “Pretty Woman,” among other hit films.

The Jerusalem Post summarized the cable net’s report of the purported 2014 incident: “After U.S. authorities learned that Arnon Milchan was involved in alleged unspecified nuclear dealings, Milchan’s visa had to be renewed. The Israeli businessman then turned to Netanyahu for help, with the latter contacting Kerry to request assistance on Milchan’s behalf.”

Also Read: 'Pretty Woman,' 'Fight Club' Producer Arnon Milchan: I Was an Israeli Spy

Apparently, that worked — though perhaps not on the first try.

“Netanyahu spoke with Kerry three times on the subject in 2014, asking that he help the Israeli businessman with the visa process,” the Post continued. “The report claims that Kerry agreed to help Milchan and that the businessman’s visa was renewed for an additional 10 years.”

Netanyahu is already being investigated in his homeland for accepting bribes. Milchan’s name has come up as one of the primary people who may have provided unauthorized gifts in return for political favors. He’s accused of giving Netanyahu expensive cigars and alcohol.

Also Read: Alan Dershowitz: Obama Stabbed Israel In The Back (Video)

The Israeli Police have questioned Netanyahu twice this week — the politician has denied any wrongdoing. If charges arise from the investigation, he could face multiple felonies, including violating the public trust.

Netanyahu’s attorney, Yaakov Weinrot, has shrugged off the gifts given to his client by Milchan.

“There’s nothing wrong in receiving cigars as a gift from a friend,” Weinrot said. “Every person with a bit of common sense can understand that if an acquaintance or a close friend brings a friend cigars, there is and there cannot be anything wrong with it and it is certainly not a criminal felony.”

Inside Golden Globe Pre-Parties: Barbra Streisand, Chris Pine Duet While Movie Stars Mingle (Photos)

Rami Malek and Chris Pine

"Mr. Robot" hung with "Captain Kirk" at W Magazine's Best Performances bash with Audi, part of an A-list crowd that filled the Chateau Marmont penthouse on Thursday night (Jan. 5).
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Moet & Chandon
Emma Stone with Mahershala Ali & "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobbie Brown with Amy Adams

The casts from leading films mixed and mingled. Best Actress frontrunner Stone and Supporting Actor Ali got familiar, while the "Stranger Things" breakout was a favorite of "Arrival" star Adams.
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Moet & Chandon; Donato Sardella/Getty Images for W
Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake (in a beanie on a 54 degree night)

Amongst a crowd that included models (Kelly Rohrbach, Shaun Ross), actors (Evan Rachel Wood, Hailee Steinfeld) and execs (Bob Weinstein and Dana Brunetti), the most boss talent got their Audi Q7's pulled right in to the Chateau driveway to dodge the throng of fans, paparazzi, and autograph hounds out front.
Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for W Magazine
Shock of the Night: Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand casually strolled out on to the west balcony around 10 p.m., escorted by Ken Sunshine and hosts Hirschberg and Stefano Tonchi. Chris Pine and Streisand recorded a duet together, but had never met.

"My soulmate," Pine said as he greeted the legend. Streisand responded by grabbing his face with both hands and they eventually took cell phone pics together.

[Note: The inset of Streisand is a file photo. The notoriously camera shy singer only took the photo after the next click]
Pine photo by Donato Sardella. Inset: Getty Images
James Brolin, Hirshberg, Streisand, and Tonchi
Donato Sardella/Getty Images for W
The penthouse entrance got a mirrored makeover.
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Those only look like the Snapchat spectacles on Chateau proprietor and party co-host Andre Balazs. Later in the night, a coed DJ duo from Spain heated up the living room.
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Hailee Steinfeld indulged the paps out front.
The hallways were covered in the Best Performances Portfolio images, which were shot by Craig McDean and styled by the charismatic Edward Enninful.
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Amara Karan and Anna Baryshnikov

The conflicted lawyer from HBO's "The Night Of" (Karan, left) and Sandy -- the girlfriend from "Manchester By the Sea" -- are two faces who were not on the scene a year ago.
Donato Sardella/Getty Images for W
W editor-in-chief Stefano Tonchi hung with the boys: Balazs, Tom Ford, and Valentino's Carlos Souza...
Donato Sardella/Getty Images for W
While the fashion clique posed in one of the penthouse's bedrooms.

That's star stylist Erica Pelosini (whose own instagram reads like a glossy Conde Nast book) and socialite Caroline Vreeland in a candid pose.
Donato Sardella/Getty Images for W
Dana Brunetti

The former Relativity chief anchored in the living room entertaining this group as luminaries like Streisand, Russell Simmons, and Rami Malek weaved in to this private hideaway with its own Moët bar, where some guests helped themselves.
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Moet & Chandon
Lynn Hirschberg and Rami Malek

"I didn't come for Barbra [Streisand]," Malek told host Hirschberg. "I came for you." Others coming for Hirshberg and Tonchi included...
Donato Sardella/Getty Images for W
Chloe Sevigny...
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a healthy, virbant, and energetic looking Val Kilmer (one guest grabbed my arm in shock when she saw him walk by)...
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"Transparent" creator Jill Soloway and Lauren Cioffi...
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And Ruth Negga, with "Outlander's" Caitriona Balfe
EARLIER: Jimmy Fallon and "Rocky's 3"

The Globes host and Sylvester Stallone's three daughters, who serve as this year's Miss Golden Globe, impersonate "Charlie's Angels" in front of the Beverly Hilton on Thursday morning (Jan. 5).
Chris Haston/NBC
Joined by HFPA President Lorenzo Soria and Dick Clark Productions executives Allen Shapiro and Barry Adelman, this group logs some manual labor by covering the driveway of the hotel in red.
Chris Haston/NBC
Bryce Dallas Howard, Gina Rodriguez, and Olivia Culpo

This trio headlined champagne house Moët & Chandon's promotional launch of a mini film festival at the Doheny Room in West Hollywood.
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Fashion influencers descended. Over a million followers caught this cross-posted photo of a fantastically diverse squad: Influencers Dani Song, Marianna Hewitt, Conna Walker, Brittany Hampton, and Kristen Noel Crawley at the Moet Moment Film Festival on Wednesday night.
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John Lee Hancock, Michael Keaton, and Brian Grazer at Cut

After "Birdman" and "Spotlight", it's not an awards season without Michael Keaton. "The Founder," the biopic about McDonald's Ray Kroc is still in the awards race for this season despite the latest possible debut. One critic gushed that it hasn't grabbed one-hundredth of the media ink those others have. But wow, is [Keaton] worthy!". On Wednesday night, this crew toasted to the film with Casamigos at Cut Lounge in the Beverly Wilshire.

The punny drink names of the night: "The Quarter Founder" and "McMargarita".
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Inside the best bashes across Hollywood before the 2017 Golden Globes with The Party Report’s Mikey Glazer

Rami Malek and Chris Pine

"Mr. Robot" hung with "Captain Kirk" at W Magazine's Best Performances bash with Audi, part of an A-list crowd that filled the Chateau Marmont penthouse on Thursday night (Jan. 5).

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