OPINION: The Netanyahu family’s extravagance makes me long for humble leaders of the past

Amid widespread demonstration against the judicial reform of his government, PMBenjamin Netanyahu flew to Rome for a meeting with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni. Following the meeting Netanyahu did not head home. Rather, accompanied by wife Sara, he spent the weekend, which happened to be their anniversary, in the presidential suite of the Parco dei Principi Grand Hotel. To enable his vacation 60 rooms were reportedly reserved at this exclusive hotel.

This was not a single occasion but rather what happened to become a pattern. Last month Netanyahu, accompanied by his wife, flew to Paris to meet with President Emmanuel Macron.

Again the Netanyahus made a point of flying into the French capital on Thursday and spending the weekend at the prestigious Hotel du Collectionneur. The same arrangement will take place next week when the Netanyahus will fly to London for a short state meeting and a long weekend vacation.

The trip took place days after the Knesset Finance Committee approved Netanyahu’s request to allocate state funding that will cover the expenses of both residences of the Netanyahu family.

The request pertained to Netanyahu’s private residence in Jerusalem that will serve as the Prime Minister’s official residence while the renovations take place at the Balfour official residence as well as the Netanyahu’s private home in the affluent coastal town of Caesarea.

On top of that the Committee approved increased funds for expenses such as clothing as well as travel abroad for the prime minister’s wife for conferences and other events.

Which brings to mind that, once upon a time, there were different leaders in Israel.

On 8 December 1952, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi was elected second president of the State of Israel. At the time he lived with his extended family in a wooden prefabricated dwelling consisting of two huts that were granted to him as a veteran British soldier.

The Knesset Finance Committee approved Netanyahu’s request to allocate state funding that will cover the expenses of both residences of the Netanyahu family.

After his election the government wished to purchase the Schocken luxury house to serve as residence of the new elected president. However, the Ben-Zvis refused. “We are simple people” they argued “we always lived among the people and wish to keep with our lifestyle”.

In face of their veto the government purchased the Valero neighbouring house that served as the president’s office while the presidential couple lived in the second floor. Since the office was not large enough the government wished to build an extension.

At Ben-Zvi’s demand two Swedish huts were purchased to serve for official receptions to where heads of states, ambassadors as well as simple people came to meet the president. Ben-Zvi’s excuse was that while many new immigrants lived in tents and huts it is unfitting that the president should welcome his guests in a lavish building.

Not less interesting was the adventures of the president’s remuneration. Ben-Zvi’s predecessor, Chaim Weitzman, was a wealthy man who lived on the royalties from his scientific inventions and had no need for his salary. His salary was fixed upon his election in 1949 and stood on 450 IL, 31% less than the president’s driver.

The Knesset wished to raise the salary yet was met by Ben-Zvi’s firm objection. The Speaker, Kadish Luz, argued that the Knesset should not succumb to Ben-Zvi’s rejection as the honour of the presidency is involved. Indeed, on March 1954 the Finance Committee voted to raise the President’s salary to that of the President of the Supreme Court.

Ben-Zvi protested and the committee decided to forward the issue to the ruling of the Finance Minister. Ben-Zvi was hoping that his fried Eshkol will agree with him yet Eshkol declared that he must honour the Knesset’s decision. Ben-Zvi did not relent and refused to accept the increased salary and as a result did not receive any remuneration.

In view of the public scandal Eshkol was forced to accept Ben-Zvi’s demand who kept receiving the old salary.

However, Ben-Zvi was tricked. In 1962 he went for a long journey to African countries. The Finance Committee took advantage of the situation and raised his salary. Upon returning to Israel Ben-Zvi discovered that this was à fait complete as the decision had been already legislated.

Yet Ben-Zvi didn’t give up. He used only half of his statutory salary and dedicated the rest for research of the history of the Jewish people and of Ertez Yisrael.

Ben-Zvi refused to accept the raise not of his salary only. In 1960 the Finance Committee decided to raise the President’s chambers budget but had to retreat facing Ben-Zvi’s objection.

Ben-Zvi was not the only modest leader.

In 1979 Yitzhak Shamir, then Speaker of the Knesset, travelled to Australia with a parliamentary delegation. Due to security reasons the travel lasted for 38 hours. Shamir travelled of course economy and sat in the first row together with MK Adi Amorai. Since there were two empty seats in their row Shamir suggested that during the first night he would sleep on the chairs and Amorai on the floor and for the second night they would switch.

When Amorai’s turn was to take the “luxury” seats he felt uneasy and told Shamir: “I can’t accept that I will sleep on the chairs and the Speaker of the Knesset who is also older will sleep on the floor beneath me. Let’s stick to the former arrangement.” To which Shamir reacted, “a deal is a deal” and lay down on the floor to get some sleep.

Yes, once upon a time there were other leaders.

Prof Asher Maoz is founding dean of the Peres Academic Law School and head of the Committee for Int’l Academic Relations. He serves as Vice President of the honorary committee of AIDLR – Int’l Association for Freedom of Religion. He is the recipient of the AIDLR jubilee “International Award of Excellence Ambassador for Liberty and Peace Jean Nussbaum & Eleanor Roosevelt”