Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a 10 million shekel ($2,9 million) donation from Spencer Patrih, a Michigan real estate magnate, to finance his defense in court.
Netanyahu has been accused, among other things, of receiving gifts from wealthy friends, but that doesn't stop him from asking for another gift from such a friend to pay for his multimillion-dollar defense.
Since Patrih is a witness in one of the cases, the control committee that Netanyahu asked to approve the donation turned to the Supreme Prosecutor for an opinion.
Asking friends for financial help is not illegal and Israeli politicians traditionally socialize with wealthy Jewish supporters abroad.
However, some consider Netanyahu's request unfair.
"The problem is that we have a prime minister who has connections with the rich. When the borders are blurred, you are blinded by big money. You want even more. Then suddenly a friend asks for a small favor and that is a problem," said Tomer Naor from the Movement for Quality Government in Israel.
Netanyahu's trial for fraud, breach of trust in three cases, including bribery in one of them, began in May and is scheduled to continue in July.
Netanyahu is accused of accepting gifts worth $200.000, cigars and champagne, from two billionaires, Hollywood film producer Arnon Milhan and Australian tycoon James Packer.
He is also accused of offering to help pass legislation that benefited powerful media moguls in exchange for favorable coverage of Netanyahu in their publications.
For defense costs, Netanyahu has already turned to his rich American cousin Natan Milikovski and Patrih.
He already received a donation of 300.000 dollars from Milikovski, and suits and cigars from Patrih, for which he did not have approval and was ordered to return it, said the mentioned committee.
Netanyahu was also repeatedly ordered to declare his assets, which he failed to do. Last year, his request to receive 10 million shekels from Patrih for what he was accused of was denied.
However, when a new committee was established under a state comptroller handpicked by Netanyahu, he again requested the donation, citing a "significant change in circumstances" since the formal indictment in January.
Netanyahu was previously allowed to receive a $570.000 loan from Patrih, according to the documents.
Naor from the Movement for Quality Government said that the money was intended to return what Milikovski had paid, but it was not done.
A source close to Netanyahu said the Patrih grant would not cover all of Netanyahu's court costs and that someone earning a public servant's salary could not be expected to pay such high costs alone.
However, Netanyahu is believed to be a multi-millionaire thanks to the books he has written, the real estate he owns and what he has earned while in the private sector.
The list of 333 potential witnesses at the trial includes several well-known billionaires, including Milhan and Packer, and American casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.
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