Istanbul (Aftenposten): Taxpayers must foot the bill to repair the complex. The accounting director resigns in protest.
Israeli taxpayers must foot the bill for the renovation of the Prime Minister's swimming pool. This is not the first time that the expenses of Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah have attracted attention.
The short version
- The Prime Minister's swimming pool will be renovated and taxpayers will foot the bill. This raises resentment in Israel. The accounting director has expressed his protest and wants to resign.
The summary is created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and quality guaranteed by Aftenposten journalists.
After October 7, more than 300,000 Israelis were called up for military service.
In recent months, they have been busy completely destroying the Gaza Strip. Up to 60 percent of all buildings have now been destroyed. Nearly 27,000 Palestinians were killed, according to health authorities in Gaza.
Purely economic The war also costs Israel dearly. While the soldiers are unemployed, the state must subsidize their wages. Israel is still far from the goal of eliminating Hamas, according to American intelligence. Criticism of the government is now increasing from several quarters.
In the midst of all this, the Prime Minister's Office made a decision that sparked outrage in Israel:
The Prime Minister's swimming pool will be renovated. Taxpayers will foot the bill.
The news caused this Cook food for Israelis On social media.
He resigned in protest
The swimming pool belongs to Benjamin Netanyahu's private summer home in Caesarea. It is located north of Tel Aviv.
In addition to fixing leaks and the stairs leading to the pool, other repairs will also be made to the property.
The head of the Prime Minister's Office is the one who approved the expenditures. The newspaper wrote that Yossi Sheli got the job because he is loyal to Netanyahu Haaretz.
The head of accounting in the Prime Minister's Office, Roy Benbenesti, is furious. He said he would resign in protest.
Benbenesti is said to have interacted several times in the past with the expenses of the Prime Minister and his wife. He had previously threatened to resign. But because no one wanted his job, he postponed his resignation, Haaretz wrote.
Increasingly unpopular
Since the outbreak of war on October 7, Netanyahu's popularity has declined sharply.
Only 23% of voters would vote for Netanyahu if elections were held today. Shows a recent measurement made for the TV channel Keshet 12.
They are falling rapidly now: earlier in January, the number was 29 percent.
The Israelis are particularly upset that the prime minister was unable to rescue the hostages. About 130 Israelis are still being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza set up camp outside Netanyahu's holiday home in Caesarea. They demand an immediate agreement with Hamas.
He refuses to withdraw from Gaza
In recent weeks, Netanyahu's relatives have set up tents outside Netanyahu's holiday home. They call on the government to immediately enter into an agreement with Hamas. They demand the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of the hostages.
This week's parties Negotiated in Paris With the United States, Egypt and Qatar as mediators. But reports on how things went were mixed.
Netanyahu repeated this last Tuesday It does not apply to release Thousands of Palestinian prisoners. He said that the Israeli army will also not withdraw from the Gaza Strip as Hamas demands.
Expensive cigars and pink champagne
Critics believe that Netanyahu has an interest in prolonging the war.
He is accused of corruption and abuse of power in three different court cases. In one, he and his wife Sarah were accused of accepting expensive cigars and boxes of pink champagne worth NOK 2 million.
Opponents believe that Netanyahu fears that if he loses power, he will go straight to prison. They believe this is why he clings to power.
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