The scandals come at a delicate moment for the hard-line prime minister, who is at loggerheads with much of the international community and key domestic elites such as the security establishment. He has come under heavy criticism for replacing his widely respected defense minister with one of the country's most polarizing politicians, Avigdor Lieberman. And this week, France is hosting an international conference expected to put pressure on Netanyahu to make concessions to the Palestinians.
For now, none of the scandals seem to threaten Netanyahu's rule. They mostly have been an embarrassment and served as more fodder for those who charge that power has corrupted the couple. Netanyahu is now in a fourth term as prime minister, holding the job for over 10 years in all. [...]
The Movement for Freedom of Information, an anti-corruption advocacy group, recently slammed the Netanyahus for not releasing receipts for their residence's expenses despite a court order to do so.In February, another former employee won a case alleging Mrs. Netanyahu subjected him to abusive language and insults. Last year, the state comptroller detailed alleged excessive spending at Netanyahu residences, citing large sums of public money spent on food, furniture, cleaning and gardening at Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem and his private home in the exclusive coastal town of Caesarea.
Over the years, reports have also been released about the high cost of the Netanyahus' catering, housekeeping, furniture, clothing and makeup. In one case, the premier was chided for spending $127,000 in public funds for a special sleeping cabin on a flight to London. Even their costly purchases of scented candles and pistachio-flavored ice cream have been derided.
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