Posted on 12/09/2013 9:52:56 PM PST by Colonel Kangaroo
Fresh off a series of scandals over his high-flying lifestyle and expensive habits, Israel’s prime minister says he will skip Nelson Mandela’s funeral on Tuesday due to the high cost of the trip.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision stood in contrast to the mad rush by world leaders to attend the event, and seemed to underscore the embattled Israeli leader’s isolation on the world stage. Nearly 100 heads of state, along with tens of thousands of mourners, are expected at the memorial in a Soweto soccer stadium.
Netanyahu, who is known to enjoy puffing on expensive cigars and sipping cognac, has come under criticism several times in recent months for his free-spending habits.
Last week, official records obtained by a civil liberties group showed that Netanyahu had spent $1,700 in government funds on scented candles and $22,000 on the water bill at his vacation home. The disclosures set off a national uproar and gave new fodder to critics and comedians.
Earlier this year, a TV station reported that Netanyahu spent $127,000 in public funds for a special sleeping cabin on a five-hour flight to London to attend Margaret Thatcher’s funeral. Netanyahu was forced to stop buying ice cream from his favorite Jerusalem parlor after an Israeli newspaper discovered his office was spending $3,000 a year for the treat.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Sometimes you wonder if the whole point of US Middle East involvement is to facilitate the lifestyle of all these regional big shots. Talk about entitlemets.
seems he decided to save his taxpayers some money just after O announced he was going to attend to give a big speech (about O, of course)
Compare his to Obama or Hillary
It is interesting that Netanyahu attended PM Thatcher’s funeral. I wonder how many of the USA crowd attending Mandela’s funeral were at Thatcher’s funeral. I guess it all depends on one’s sense of National interests.
Federman would have been paid more if he sent his screed to Wapoo. Some of the stuff comming out from them since the changeover needs closer looks.
Take all the perks of office that Netanyahu has enjoyed and add up the cost.
Obama could waste that on one dinner hosted at the white house for friends and assorted Marxists .
No, it’s not an exaggeration, neither is it a joke... it’s a nauseating truth.
giving Jews a bad name...they don’t care about money!!
Why would the WT print a garbage piece like this? The Compost or the Slimes maybe but...
Politicians live large, no matter the nationality. We need to be wary of falling prey to hero worship of any of them.
Yeah ben made a good move. I wish more of them had, but the politicians have to suck up to the Mandela crowd.
Mandela was no friend to either the Jews or to Israel. Netanyahu would have found himself in some unsavory company had he attended.
As for lifestyle, I read many years ago that in Israel a man considered himself rich if his day began with fresh orange juice, and ended with a phone call from his grandchildren.
maybe he just didn’t want to schmooz with the Iranians and other weird sickos coming to the party
surely the Israelis know the real story on Mandela, which is why they helped the South Africans get their nukes out of the country
Jimmy Carter is there. I’d snub the event if I was Bibi, too.
I’ll pay for the ice cream if Bibi can replace Obozo.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.