Earlier this week "Globes" reported that Yair Netanyahu, the son of Israel's former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed in a signed affidavit to the Tel Aviv District Court that he had no way to pay the compensation that he had been ordered to pay former Walla editor Avi Alkalay, as part of a defamation suit. Netanyahu had falsely claimed that Alkalay was a 'mole' working with the State Prosecutor in the court case against his father.
Yair Netanyahu signed the affidavit, even though there are claims that he has substantially more than the NIS 250,000 compensation he needs to pay, in addition to court costs of NIS 30,000.
Yair Netanyahu strenuously denies these reports. When asked by "Globes" if his affidavit is false due to the fact that he has amounts of money that are substantially higher than the debt owed due to the court ruling, a spokesperson for him said, "The 'information' that was published is not correct. Your obsessive preoccupation with Yair Netanyahu, who is a private individual, is a blatant violation of the Law to Protect Privacy."
Netanyahu's claim that the 'information' is not correct is currently being scrutinized. Alkalay has submitted a response to the district court to Netanyahu's application to delay implementation of the court ruling and request that it be dismissed. From the response, it can be seen that Alkalay has opened a debt collection order, according to which Netanyahu has a number of accounts with a total of NIS 1,057,000. Alkalay's response says, "In one current account, there is more than NIS 100,000; in another current account in the same branch, there is more than NIS 500,000; and in a third account there is about NIS 80,000 and in deposits in the same branch there is about NIS 350,000."
Alkalay claims through Advs. Ron Lowenthal and Ilit Gilad, "Netayahu allows himself to virtually 'volunteer' at his current job at 'Radio Galey Israel' in that on the one hand he publishes on social media regular interview programs on that radio station, and on the other hand allows himself to earn for seven months work just NIS 7,500, a privilege not available to somebody who claims that his economic situation is so shaky."
In an appendix attached to Alkalay's response it says that Galey Israel paid Netanyahu NIS 7,500 between July and December 2020. Shurat Hadin - Israel Law Center paid him NIS 30,000 for his work between May and December 2018. In addition, a payment of NIS 6,000 was recorded in favor of Netanyahu from the Trans Global Travel travel agency for work during just one month of 2018."
Together with an appeal against the court ruling, Netanyahu filed an application to postpone it in which he attempts to persuade how critical it is to delay the compensation payment until his appeal is ruled on. "The balance of the damage is 100% against me and clearly the damage that would be caused me if implementation of the decision is not delayed is irreversible. I do not have4 the financial means to pay the amounts specified in the decision, I cannot obtain them and the damage that would be caused me on the matter would be major."
Yair Netanyahu mentioned his financial hardship regarding the compensation payment several times on the affidavit. He said that NIS 250,000 plus NIS 30,000 expenses are "a huge sum by any measure that I do not have to hand and there is no possibility of obtaining it." He added, "The decision requires me to pay an amount of money so big that I do not have in in my pocket." This claim repeats itself an additional time more strenuously. "Non-compliance, God forbid, to this request would cause me economic devastation and would in practice damage me so completely that I would not be able to recover from it."
Yair Netanyahu concluded the affidavit with his name signature and declaration that all the aforementioned information is the truth. However, the affidavit is contradicted by the aforementioned facts learned by "Globes." AQn affidavit is part of a legal process defined as testimony to all intents and purposes and if it transpires that the affidavit is false then it is possible that Netanyahu could be charged with perjury.
Alkalay says his claims are based on documents, which apparently prove his claims on this matter. From this, it is written in the response, "Not only does this not support Netanyahu's claims on the matter of his apparent 'shaky' financial situation, not only does he not explain how complying with payment of the court ruling would bring about his financial collapse, but it will simply be made clear; Netanyahu has given an affidavit, which is legally false, Netanyahu himself defines this matter as 'a matter of the utmost importance,' and therefore it would be expected of him to be precise and reliable in his affidavit down to the finest detail."
In response to a question from "Globes," about the sources of his money allegedly amounting to more than NIS 1 million, even though he does not have a high income, Yair Netanyahu declined to comment.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 26, 2021
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