A report has revealed that USD 88,000 worth of Israeli taxpayersâ„¢ money was spent in 2012 alone for the upkeep of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private seaside property.
According to the report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the luxurious property located in the exclusive Caesarea resort is used by Netanyahu only during holidays and some weekends.
Netanyahuâ„¢s controversial spending comes as a draft austerity budget was finalized by the Israeli regime and is set to go before its parliament.
Thousands of Israelis took to the streets in Tel Aviv and other cities on May 11 to protest against the painful austerity measures, which would raise income and value-added taxes and cut welfare benefits.
Public outcry against Tel Avivâ„¢s economic policies has been growing as reports surface about Netanyahuâ„¢s overspending on luxuries.
On Monday, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu spent USD 127,000 on a controversial sleeping cabin installed on a plane for a five-hour flight from Tel Aviv to London to attend the funeral of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that a large portion of Israeli taxpayers’ money was being spent on the Netanyahu familyâ„¢s ice-cream and makeup cravings.
The Israeli prime minister has awarded a contract valued at about USD 2,716 to his favorite ice cream shop to keep him supplied with vanilla and pistachio ice-cream.
It was also reported that some USD 8,960 a year is also paid to the people who do the makeup for the Netanyahu family.
Public anger over the austerity cuts and the so-called Å“bedgate” affair was further stoked on Tuesday by reports that the expenses of the premier’s official residence rose from 1.89 million shekels (USD 520,000) in 2009 to 3.29 million (USD 905,000) in 2012 – an increase of nearly 75 percent.
There has long been a total lack of transparency with regard to the expenses of the Israeli prime ministerâ„¢s residence and office.
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This article originally appeared on : Press TV