Likud MK Slams Wives Of PM And Justice Minister For Accepting Illicit State Funds

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Likud MK Galit Distal-Atbarian is constantly making waves on Israeli news, but especially with primaries ahead and a need to secure her Knesset seat in the upcoming elections. The MK’s significant social media presence and feisty approach to political hot potatoes has made her a constant interviewee on Israel television channels and an impassioned advocate for opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu.

With the ongoing trial of Netanyahu and the revelation that he received many presents from wealthy patrons according to testimony of the couriers of these presents, many have pondered Netanyahu’s moral compass and suitability as prime minister. Distal-Atbarian dismisses these concerns, stating that Netanyahu mainly wished to placate his wife who received most of the presents. Moreover Distal-Atbarian mentioned a number of other prominent politicians who have received illegal benefits and these issued from the public coffers as opposed to Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s wife Lehi Lapid recently published a book entitled “Foreigners”.  The translation rights to Lehi Lapid’s book were sold to an American publisher for at least  $100,000, according to a report by journalist Ariel Kahana.

According to the report, the American publisher “Harper Collins”, one of the largest in the world, acquired the translation rights of the book. According to estimates in the book market, the volume of the deal reaches at least $ 100,000, and it is considered significant in Israeli industry.

Although ostensibly a transaction between private parties, the institution that promoted and mediated the agreement is the “Israeli Institute of Hebrew Literature” – a public association whose entire budgetary sources come from the government, and a significant portion of them from the Foreign Ministry.

Ariel Kahana notes that this was done while Yair Lapid was serving as Foreign Minister. It is important to note that there are a variety of private agencies that promote Israeli literature abroad, and many agencies around the world that represent writers from Israel, and Lapid had the opportunity to try and contact an agency that does not rely on state funds.

Moreover Geula Even, wife of Justice Minister Gidon Saar, recently received 200,000 NIS for a four-month period from state television channel Kan 11, this despite the fact that she was not even working during this period.

Distal-Atbarian noted that the media hardly paid attention to these glaringly illegal uses of public funds, while constantly covering the indiscretions of the Netanyahu family, which did not involve embezzlement of public funds in any form.