Netanyahu censured over squandering $25k on alcoholic drinks

A senior Israeli politician has blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s extravagant spending, saying he squanders more on alcohol than some Israelis earn per month.

"This week it was published that Netanyahu spent 100,000 shekels (USD 25,450) of public funds over two years on alcohol. Do you know how much that is in a month? 4,200 a month," Hatnuah party leader Tzipi Livni said at a public event in the Israeli city of Rishon Letzion on Saturday.

"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," Livni added.

Also on Saturday, Israeli Labor Party leader Isaac Herzog slammed Netanyahu over his lavish spending and the lack of accountability for the regime’s problems.

Netanyahu is "busy with accusations and throwing the responsibility on former prime ministers and on the Israeli media," Herzog said, noting that “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."

The Israeli premier has been facing criticism over a number of issues, including his handling of economic problems.

Back in 2013, thousands of Israelis took to streets in different cities to protest against Tel Aviv’s austerity measures and to demand social justice.

The protests were initially triggered by soaring housing prices, but quickly evolved into a sweeping expression of rage against a wide array of economic issues, including the cost of food, gasoline and education.

A report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in August 2013 indicated, "The incomes of about one in five Israeli households fall below the [relative] poverty line."

MSM/NN/AS

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