Netanyahus billed state for repairs to private home, report claims
Channel 2's 'Fact' program says private contractor was paid up to NIS 52,000 for repair work on family villa in Caesarea, despite clear regulations governing such work.
Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu renovated their private villa in Caesarea to the tune of tens of thousands of shekels at the expense of the state, Channel 2's investigative show "Fact" claimed Monday night.
The allegations come on the heels of claims of financial irregularities by the Netanyahu family.
According to the Channel 2 show, shortly after the 2009 Israeli elections but before Netanyahu took office as prime minister, the couple engaged Benny Keren, a contractor from Kiryat Haim, to carry out work at their home in Caesarea. Keren was asked to detail the problems in the property and assess the overall damage.
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The guidelines regarding the private residence of the prime minister state that the country should only pay for renovations that maintain the status quo. In other words, if the problems arose before Netanyahu took office, the state does not foot the repair bill. But according to Keren, the damage was caused at least eight years ago, long before Netanyahu moved into the prime minister's chair.
Keren presented the couple with a quote for NIS 22,000 for repairs to the villa's roof, with no other defects included. The workman got the nod to begin renovating the roof, and in the meantime, Netanyahu was sworn in as prime minister.
"At some point, a man named Ezra called me, and introduced himself the head of the construction branch," Keren told the program. He was referring to Ezra Seidoff, the deputy DG of the prime minister's office with responsibility for assets and operations considered close to the Netanyahus.
"I gave my quote to the Netanyahu family, (but) he asked me to change the quote to the Prime Minister's Office. I refused. I gave a quote to the Netanyahu family; I was not willing to change it to the Prime Minister's Office."
According to "Fact", it took two months for Keren to receive payment for the work. Keren says that he subsequently met with Sara Netanyahu, who explained to him that state had to absorb the cost of the repairs.
"I sat with her at the pool, and what did she tell me? That the prime minister earns just NIS 13,000 a month, that he is an employee on a salary and they are not as rich as their friends. Then she says, 'I am paying because the government didn't pay - but the state will pay. They have to pay."
Eventually, Keren received two checks from the Netanyahu family for a total of NIS 22,000.
Meanwhile, an official document from the Prime Minister's Office obtained by the program showed that Seidoff and PMO staff approved repairs carried out by Keren for damage incurred in the period preceding Netanyahu's election as prime minister. The list includes marble slabs costing NIS 42,000, repairing rusty blinds for NIS 6,000 and other work costing NIS 4,000. A total cost to taxpayers of NIS 52,000.
In response, the Prime Minister's Office said: "In 2009, the Netanyahu family paid a sum of NIS 21,902 for renovations in Caesarea, for which they did not receive a refund from the state. The state's contribution to the expenses at the prime minister's private residence is in line with procedure, as was also the case for previous prime ministers, in light of the fact that the residence is also used for work by the prime minister."
Benjamin Netanyahu also issued his own response: "The prime minister and his wife acted lawfully in all issues you raise. This is part of a planned campaign of slander, lies and gossip against the prime minister and his wife. At such critical moments as these, the prime minister is focused on efforts to stop the dangerous nuclear agreement with Iran and will not be dragged into another daily smear campaign to oust him."
Seidoff's lawyer, Gadi Tal, said in response that, "everything that was done was done properly. My client did not authorize anything that was not in line with procedure and the law.
