(FILES) In this file photo taken on May 21, 2017, Sara Netanyahu, the wife of the Israeli Prime Minister, attends a ceremony marking the 50t...
The wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on trial Sunday for allegedly using state funds to fraudulently pay for hundreds of meals, part of a list of legal troubles facing the family.
The start of Sara Netanyahu’s trial was the latest chapter in a saga intensely scrutinised in Israel but dismissed by the Netanyahus as another “absurd” attempt to discredit them.
She smiled at her lawyers when entering the court and the session began with a hearing on whether the trial should be overseen by a panel of three judges instead of one due to the case’s “public sensitivity.”
The court adjourned shortly afterward until November 13, with the trial expected to run for months.
The premier himself faces possible charges in separate corruption investigations, leading to speculation that he will eventually be forced to step down.
Sara Netanyahu was charged with fraud and breach of trust in June.
Prosecutors accuse her of misusing state funds to pay for catered meals costing $100,000 (85,000 euros) by falsely declaring there were no cooks available at the premier’s official residence.
From 2010 to 2013, she, her family and guests received “fraudulently from the state hundreds of prepared meals”, the indictment read.
According to the charge sheet, the meals were ordered from a variety of well-known Jerusalem businesses, including an Italian restaurant, a Middle Eastern grill joint and a sushi establishment.
Sara Netanyahu, 59 and a high-profile presence at her husband’s side throughout his long tenure, has denied any wrongdoing.
“For the first time in history, charges are being pressed against a leader’s wife over noodles and take-away containers from six to seven years ago,” a statement from her lawyers said Sunday.
The meals were ordered “against Sara Netanyahu’s will”, it said.
‘Blood spilled’
But the case has again turned the spotlight on the Netanyahu family and past allegations of misbehaviour.
Sara Netanyahu has previously been accused of pocketing cash from deposit refunds for empty bottles returned from the official residence.
She has also faced accusations of mistreating staff, and in 2016 a court awarded some $47,000 in damages to a former housekeeper who accused a couple of repeated workplace abuse.
The Netanyahus have hit back calling the allegations — which have been closely covered in the Israeli media — grossly unfair smear attempts.
Sara Netanyahu has in the past said that her “blood has been spilled publicly”.
One particularly high-profile example occurred in 2017 when both the premier and his wife appeared in court in their libel case against a journalist’s claim that Sara Netanyahu kicked her husband out of the car during a row.
Benjamin Netanyahu testified that the story was a “ridiculous” fabrication.
The court later awarded the Netanyahus $32,500.
Allegations over luxury gifts
But there are potentially more serious allegations facing Benjamin Netanyahu.
The right-wing prime minister has held the job for a total of more than 12 years, first from 1996-99 and again beginning in 2009.
He could next year surpass the record set by Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion, who spent more than 13 years in office.
But Netanyahu faces a possible indictment in the months ahead. On Friday police quizzed him for the 12th time as a suspect in various cases.
In one of them, he allegedly tried to secure a secret deal with the publisher of Israel’s top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival.
Another case involves suspicions that the premier and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours.
There is also an ongoing inquiry into his ties with local telecoms giant Bezeq and its largest shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, according to Israeli media.
In that case, Benjamin Netanyahu is alleged to have sought favourable coverage from another Elovitch company, the Walla news site, in exchange for government policies that could have benefited the mogul’s interests to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Police have recommended Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted in two cases, though the attorney general has yet to decide whether to do so.
Despite the ongoing investigations, Netanyahu has remained strong in polls and he is not obliged to step down if formally charged.
AFP
COMMENTS