A former close adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told police investigators that the premier’s wife made him ensure that all communications between the Netanyahus’ son Yair and the wife of an Israeli telecommunications tycoon at the center of a corruption investigation were deleted.
Nir Hefetz, who was the Netanyahu family’s most trusted spokesman, turned state’s witness last year in a series of corruption investigations implicating the prime minister.
One of the probes Hefetz provided testimony in is Case 4000, which involves suspicions Netanyahu agreed to advance regulation financially benefiting Bezeq-controlling shareholder Shaul Elovitch in exchange for flattering coverage from Elovitch’s Walla news site.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, together with their son Yair at a Hannukah event, on December 13, 2015. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)
Transcripts of a phone conversation between Hefetz and Sara Netanyahu from mid-2017 leaked to Channel 12 and 13 revealed the level of involvement the prime minister’s family had with the Elovitchs.
“Sara and Yair summoned me urgently [to the residence]. Yair was really stressed out and was almost shaking,” Hefetz is quoted as saying. “They asked me to urgently find Iris Elovitch and make sure she deleted all of the messages between them.”
Channel 13 commentators said that Sara and Yair Netanyhu are not suspects in case 4000, but the content of the phone call indicates the prime minister’s family is concerned about being charged with obstructing the police investigation.
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