Bibi’s in no hurry to move
Critics miffed he won’t leave PM residence till July 10
JERUSALEM — Benjamin Netanyahu says he and his family will move out of Israel’s prime minister’s residence by July 10, nearly a month after he was ousted from office following a record 12-year reign.
That’s not nearly soon enough for critics who have long accused the Netanyahus of treating the office and its trappings as their own private property and who see it as another way of undermining the legitimacy of the new government sworn in a week ago.
In a joint statement released late Saturday, Netanyahu and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said they agreed the Netanyahus would move out by July 10 and that no more public events would be held at the residence until then. Bennett will begin using the residence the next day.
The relatively modest official residence on Balfour St. in central Jerusalem has been the epicenter of weekly protests against Netanyahu over the past year, reflecting the bitter polarization over his rule and his ongoing trial on serious corruption charges. On Saturday night, protesters showed up with a moving truck with “Crime Minister” written on the side of it.
“They are ordering food, people are coming in to visit them, nobody knows when they are going to leave,” said organizer Ishay Hadas. “We decided to come with our truck, and we are ready to help him anytime.”
Some have compared Netanyahu to former U.S. President Donald Trump, who contested his election defeat with false claims of voter fraud and whose supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Trump skipped President Joe Biden’s inauguration but vacated the White House on schedule. Israel has no established protocol for the handover of the residence.
The political transition has already been more bitter than any in recent memory. After four elections in two years, a coalition of eight parties managed to form a narrow majority to unseat Netanyahu, but he has not gone quietly.
Bennett’s speech as incoming prime minister was repeatedly interrupted by heckling from Netanyahu’s allies. In his own speech afterward, Netanyahu lashed out at Bennett, calling him weak and inexperienced, and accusing him of defrauding his nationalist supporters by allying with leftwing parties. Netanyahu (photo) vowed to return to power.
The following day, Netanyahu hosted former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, a Republican widely seen as eyeing a presidential run, at the official residence. In a tweet, she referred to him as prime minister.
“Netanyahu’s current status in the official residence is that of a temporary guest, staying there at the mercy of Bennett,” Amir Tibon wrote in Israel’s Haaretz newspaper. “His decision to use Balfour for a political photo op with Haley is an unprecedented act of chutzpah, even by Netanyahu’s own standards.”
Netanyahu has long been accused of leading a lavish lifestyle and using the trappings of office for his own personal gain. He is on trial for fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes.
His family’s long residence on Balfour St. has also been the focus of lawsuits, with several employees accusing his wife, Sara, of abusive behavior. A housekeeper was awarded $42,000 in damages in 2016.
Sara Netanyahu was convicted of misusing state funds after she reached a plea bargain settling allegations that she overspent some $100,000 of state money on lavish meals. She’d previously been indicted for graft, fraud and breach of trust.