Controversial Financial Practices of Likud Party Uncovered
A recent report by the Israeli newspaper Calcalist has unveiled troubling financial practices within the Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The investigation, based on official documents submitted to the State Comptroller, highlights significant expenditures that raise serious questions about potential corruption and misuse of public funds. The report reveals a pattern of financial transactions directed towards companies and individuals closely associated with Netanyahu, suggesting a troubling intertwining of personal and political finances.
Among the findings, it was disclosed that Likud allocated approximately 200,000 shekels ($52,000) to the company "Perception Shevok," owned by associates of Netanyahu, Einhorn and Yonatan Urich. This payment was made for producing promotional video content during election campaigns. Notably, Einhorn is currently living abroad and is wanted for questioning regarding his involvement in leaking information to the German newspaper "Bild," while Urich is also under investigation in connection to the same case.
Additionally, the report highlighted that 123,000 shekels ($32,000) were paid to Direct Fulse, a company owned by Shlomo Filber, a former state witness in Netanyahu's corruption trials. This company reportedly benefited significantly from Likud's budget, conducting numerous opinion polls at a substantial cost. The cancellation of Filber's state witness agreement in 2024 has further fueled speculation regarding his ties to the party.
Increased Legal Expenses Amidst Corruption Trials
The financial scrutiny extends to the party's legal expenses, which have alarmingly doubled from 2.4 million shekels ($627,000) in 2022 to 4 million shekels ($1.04 million) in 2023. This spike in legal costs coincides with Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trials, raising concerns about the legitimacy of these expenditures. Despite reporting a surplus of 14.6 million shekels ($3.8 million) in 2023, the Likud party faced a deficit of 2.5 million shekels ($653,000) in 2022, prompting questions about the overall financial health of the party.
The report also indicated that the party's revenues, totaling 46.6 million shekels ($12.2 million) in 2023, were primarily derived from state funding and membership fees. Observers have expressed concern that public funds are being exploited to support personal and political agendas, further complicating the narrative surrounding Netanyahu's leadership and the integrity of the Likud party.
