Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has found himself wrapped in a blanket of controversy over his posh in-flight sleeping arrangements. It comes after reports that he and his wife had a $127,000 bedchamber custom-built for a flight to London.
The sum was tagged onto the $300,000 cost of chartering an El Al
Boeing 767 to fly the couple to former British Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher’s funeral last month, Israel’s Channel 10
television reported. Netanyahu’s aides and bodyguards were also
present on the flight.
The chamber reportedly included a double-bed and was surrounded by
four walls to give the couple complete privacy.
News of the expenditure for the 5 ½ hour flight prompted a wave of
outcry throughout Israel’s social media and newspapers.
"Bibi is king, and in a monarchy, when the king and queen fly,
price is no object...where is the shame?" political commentator
Sima Kadmon wrote on the front page of Yedioth Ahronnoth, Israel’s
largest newspaper.
Micky Rosenthal of the opposition Labor Party has called for an
inquiry into the prime minister's "scandalous behavior,"
Maariv newspaper reported.
But Netanyahu’s bureau said the prime minister was “unaware of
the high costs of installing a bedchamber on a plane,” Ynet
news reported.
"When the prime minister learned of the costs, he issued an
order not to install bedchambers on flights to Europe," the
bureau said in a statement.
The office did add, however, that Netanyahu is entitled to a
peaceful rest after a busy day at work: The prime minister’s flight
was “scheduled for midnight after a hectic day. The following
day, [he] was supposed to represent the State of Israel...in light
of this, it is appropriate that Israel’s Prime Minister will be
able to rest the night between such busy days.”
A post on Netanyahu’s Facebook page contained a link to a website
inviting people to sign a petition demanding he pay for the bed
himself.
It comes less than three months after it was discovered that
Netanyahu's office had an annual budget of $2,700 to buy his
favorite flavors from a Jerusalem ice cream parlor. The prime
minister stopped buying the treats after the news emerged.
While Netanyahu is reportedly living in the lap of luxury, others
aren't quite so lucky.
On Saturday, thousands of anti-austerity demonstrators hit the streets in six cities across Israel, to
protest against tax hikes and other belt-tightening measures
included in the country's new budget.