Extravagant alcohol spending with public funds causes headache for Netanyahu

© AP Photo/ Gali Tibbon, Poo

Zionist Camp party co-chair and former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni has pointed the finger at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who she claimed spends more money on alcohol than some Israelis earn per month, according to Israel's Haaretz newspaper.

"This week it was published that Netanyahu spent 100,000 shekels ($25,450) of public funds over two years on alcohol. Do you know how much that is in a month? 4,200 shekels a month," Livni said.

"The price of the alcohol Netanyahu drinks in a month is like the monthly salary of nearly one million workers in Israel, but they use it for rent, city tax, water, electricity, education, and food," she added.

Livni was echoed by Israeli Labor Party leader Isaac Herzog, who berated Netanyahu for his extravagant spending and handling Israel's political and economic challenges.

"Netanyahu is busy with accusations and throwing the responsibility on former prime ministers and on the Israeli media, He's been the prime minister for the last six years, and the responsibility for the housing crisis, the hungry children and Israel's serious condition internationally is at his doorstep," Herzog said.

The Israeli PM has repeatedly faced accusations of his lavish spending, including those made in 2013, when it was revealed that he purportedly spent 10,000 shekels ($2,543) of state money a year on ice cream.

Also in 2013, a separate report claimed that about 80,000 shekels ($20, 3440) of state money were allocated for Netanyahu's private swimming pool in his plush home in the Israeli town of Caesarea.

Netanyahu denies all the accusations, which he says are aimed at undermining his leadership and bring left-wing parties to power.

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