Netanyahu's 2005 donors list exposed
New revelations in prime minister's travel funding affair: Channel 10 reports Association for Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers funded Netanyahu's 2005 US trip which was primarily devoted to raising funds for party elections
In November 2005, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to the United States as a Knesset member together with his aides and security guards in a trip funded by the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers (AWIS), Channel 10 reported Sunday.
The trip, which was primarily devoted for Likud party elections fund raising efforts, cost some NIS 25,000 (roughly $7,000).
According to the report, the visit took place while then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was still in the Likud but elections were already on the horizon.
One of Netanyahu's aides later complied a list of the donations the MK had received as well as prospective donations.
Channel 10 reported that the document mentioned 76 donors, mostly foreigners.
The list shows that one particular donor was listed twice for sums of $8,000. Israeli law states that a person can not donate more than $8,000.
It was also reported that several of the donors who had already transferred funds to Netanyahu were not listed in the document. Moshe Levy, Tila Falic, Ran Cohen and Sima and Jenna Falic each donated $7,500 and do not appear on the list.
Channel 10 also claims that according to the document, some donors donated more money than noted in Netanyahu's report to the State Comptroller.
Attorney David Shimron on behalf of Netanyahu said: "The Falics were returned $15,000 in a bank transfer. Moshe Levy was transferred $7,500. We are not aware of any donation by Ran Cohen. The State Comptroller determined the donations were transferred lawfully."
Last week, Channel 10 exposed Netanyahu’s travel log between his two terms as prime minister. This included dozens of trips, which in many cases were paid for by Jewish donors who could benefit from ties with the then-finance minister, Knesset member and premiership candidate.
Following the investigative report, several complaints were submitted to the state comptroller and to the attorney general, requesting that a criminal investigation be launched against the PM.
Lindenstrauss will embark on an initial examination into the affair, before making a decision about the next moves and whether a more comprehensive inquiry needs to be launched into the prime minister’s conduct.
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