Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Bottles of Coca-Cola Zero at a supermarket in Israel, December 3, 2014 (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
The right-wing group Im Tirzu reportedly tried unsuccessfully to conceal a $14,000 donation made by Coca-Cola’s Israel franchise.
A document issued two months ago by an accountant at the Israeli Corporations Authority shows that a request from Im Tirzu director Matan Peleg to cover up the Central Bottling Company’s significant 2015 contribution was denied, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported Sunday.
Im Tirtzu has gained notoriety over the past several years for posting ads accusing prominent left-wing activists of being foreign “moles” in Israel and supporters of terror.
The group’s website describes itself as an “extra-parliamentary movement that works to strengthen and advance the values of Zionism in Israel.”
Matan Peleg, CEO of Im Tirtzu, attends a Knesset discussion on “Breaking the Silence” organization’s presence in Israeli schools on December 28, 2016. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
Uri Zaki, an official in the left-wing Meretz party, went public with the Corporations Authority letter after obtaining it.
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In it, the accountant explains that there was no reason to deem the donation classified since Coca-Cola did not submit a request specifying any reasons for doing so.
While characterizing the donation as being “supportive of the advancement of Zionism in Israeli society,” Peleg refused to address why he had tried to conceal the contribution.
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