Israeli reports said a wealthy businessman offered $125 million in exchange for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's retirement from political life.
Israeli journalist Ben Caspit revealed on Saturday that a few years ago Netanyahu was to receive an offer, through one of his close associates, from a wealthy and widely known businessman for a very large sum of money in return for quitting political life.
Writing on the website of the Hebrew newspaper Maariv, Caspit said the wealthy man was prepared to give Netanyahu $125 million in a closed investment fund, with $12.5 million paid in cash each year for a full 10 years, noting that the only condition was that he leave Israeli politics permanently.
According to the wealthy man's account as relayed by Caspit, one of Netanyahu's close associates told him at the time something strange: "Do you think he is interested in money?" He noted that the offer was not conveyed to the Israeli prime minister at the time.
The associate told the wealthy man: "You made a mistake with your offer.. you should have told Sara about the offer."
Caspit says that in recent weeks Sara, or her representative, has waged a fierce battle with the finance and legal affairs department in Netanyahu's office over recovering 12 shekels, the price of a plate of falafel that Netanyahu ate.
He adds that had the offer reached Netanyahu at the time and he accepted it, a much larger sum could have been amassed for Netanyahu, his wife and their son today, even much larger, but he and his wife see such a deal as far cheaper than their remaining in power.
