Netanyahu ordered to return 30 gifts given to him during his time as premier

Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ordered to return some 30 gifts given to him during his 12-year term as premier, as they rightfully belong to the State of Israel, Channel 13 reports.

During a sitdown with the Prime Minister’s Office legal adviser, Shlomit Barnea Farago, Netanyahu’s lawyers say many of the gifts were not returned because “some were broken and some were lost.”

The network says Barnea Fargo was apparently not convinced by the explanations, and she is expected to notify Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who will decide whether or not to probe the matter.

Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to right-wing opposition party members, at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on June 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

A statement to Channel 13 on behalf of Netanyahu says: “The lawyers presented a detailed account, according to which some of the gifts were found, others were lost or broken years ago, and others were taken by staff at the Prime Minister’s Office, during a major renovation of the office.”