Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could face dismissal from the Likud Party’s leadership contest, ahead of March’s Knesset elections, over charges of misusing party property and employees for his personal political benefit.
Netanyahu has been summoned to a hearing by the Likud comptroller, Shay Galili. Accusations include use of a conference hall at Likud headquarters in Tel Aviv to promote his candidacy for the party’s leadership. The speech he gave was uploaded to the Likud website, which is deemed party property and thus off-limits to candidates.
The Prime Minister also allegedly used two Likud employees at the Tel Aviv headquarters to invite party members to events, including a Hannukah candle-lighting ceremony with Interior Minister Gilad Erdan on Wednesday.
Netanyahu has not responded to the charges.
The Prime Minister could face a challenge for the Likud leadership, particularly from the party’s right-wing, which has accused him of being “soft” over security in East Jeruslam and the West Bank and the summer war in Gaza.
