'PM expected to stay in shabby hotel?'
President of Bonds organization, linked to Netanyahu's extravagant trips abroad, discusses conditions offered to dignitaries
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a show of support Sunday over the 'Bibi-tours' affair from the President of the Israel Bonds.
With an inquiry into allegations that donors illegally financed Netanyahu's trips in the background, Bonds President Joshua Matza stressed that all of Netanyahu's appearances at events where he was a guest of the Bonds, the accommodation was at the level customarily received by the organization's guests.
"Extravagance is a matter of geography. Are they expected to stay in some shabby hotel? Things that are seen as extravagant in Israel are seen differently in the US," he said.
In an interview with Israel Radio, Matza noted that senior Israeli officials who are guests of the Bonds hold meetings in their suites with Congress members and Government officials through whom they enlist donations for the State of Israel: "These are essential conditions."
In Netanyahu's defense, the Bonds president presented an example where the prime minister stayed at an expensive hotel in the French Riviera, which is why he paid for half of the expenses according to Matza's requirement.
"The Bonds never financed Netanyahu's sons' vacations in Europe and the US," he stressed.
'Character assassination'
Matza expressed concern over the possible damages that the affair could cause the Bonds organization and called on Netanyahu to "open up" and explain.
"If these headlines started popping up in English the organization might be declared a foreign agent because the Israeli government is telling it what to do. Being a foreign agent means being thrown out of the US…I'm surprised he's not defending himself."
President Shimon Peres also called for caution in the criticism expressed towards Netanyahu: "The State of Israel must implement a uniform procedure which will regulate the issue of senior Israeli officials' trips abroad. One obligatory standard must be set for everyone; there should not be a double standard for the prime minister.
"Even when carrying out a review you need to be careful and avoid a character assassination, not just the prime minister's, but mainly his family, his wife and his children's."
'Knesset-tours'
Likud ministers also expressed their support for Netanyahu. Minister Benny Begin said that if these are the standards according to which public figures are examined – then it is necessary to examine the entire Knesset: 'Knesset-tours', as he defined it.Begin and Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar said that it was right and just for the comptroller's inquiry to be expanded to include trips made by senior public officials throughout the last decade. Minister Sa'ar said that "it should be remembered that Kadima is a party that ran a campaign set to bring down all government institutions during their last term in office – including the comptroller's office."
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said during the government meeting that the Knesset Control Committee's conduct was "a disgrace" and that Committee Chairman MK Yoel Hasson was "putting on airs".
Steinmetz was referring to last week's committee meeting which gave the comptroller's assistant special authority to investigate the affair – though only three committee members, all from Kadima, voted on the issue due to the fact that notification of the committee meeting was given at short notice.
Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman , who is not a member of the Likud party, also took part in the meeting and expressed support for the prime minister. "This story with the travel expenses has one goal – to end the government's term in office, and I'm saying that not as a politician," Ne'eman noted.
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