Jerusalem – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to defendhimself Tuesday after his son was recorded seemingly drunk outside a stripclub talking about a natural gas deal by his government.
The audio recording of Yair Netanyahu, who has been the subject ofcontroversy in the past, led to further criticism of his father’s handlingof Israel’s natural gas industry at a time when he already faces twounrelated graft investigations.
The conversation on the recording also includes talk of strippers andprostitutes.
Netanyahu’s family denounced the broadcast of the recording by Israel’sChannel 2 television late Monday as part of a witch-hunt, while YairNetanyahu said he was obviously joking in the audio said to be from 2015.
Speaking before meeting with ambassadors from NATO countries, Netanyahustressed his son had apologised for speaking foolishly about women and thathe had known nothing about the gas deal he referenced.
“Yair didn’t know about it,” he said. “He didn’t know anything about it,and what he said, he said under the influence of alcohol, in a tastelessjoke with a friend. But he had no idea.”
Yair Netanyahu, now 26, can be heard in the recording speaking with the sonof Kobi Maimon, a stakeholder in a company that owns a share in Israel’soffshore Tamar gas field.
“My dad arranged $20 billion for your dad — you can give me 400 shekels($116/97 euros),” he says.
Yair Netanyahu says his mother is calling him at one point.
At another point in the recording, someone else with them — Roman Abramov,a representative of Australian billionaire James Packer — says “God helpus” if the conversation ever becomes public.
Yair Netanyahu issued a statement apologising and saying he was only jokingabout the gas deal while “under the influence of alcohol”.
“These statements do not represent who I am nor the values on which I wasraised,” he said.
“Regarding what I said about the gas deal, it was a joke. Anyone with a bitof common sense understands that right away.”
Netanyahu faced a difficult political battle over Israel’s natural gasarrangements, with opponents saying they overly favour the companiesinvolved.
Labour party leader Avi Gabbay said the recording was a “new stain on thecorrupt gas deal”.
There was also criticism over Yair Netanyahu’s security arrangements, withat least two lawmakers calling for an investigation.
A security guard employed by the state purportedly accompanied YairNetanyahu to the strip club.
– ‘Everything is fair game’ –
Netanyahu’s office said it “is not consulted on protection arrangements forhis children decided upon by the security services”.
The Netanyahus in a statement said the broadcast of the recording was partof a “witch-hunt against the family that has reached an unprecedented low”.
“Apparently, everything is fair game to attack the Netanyahu government andfamily, including using a secret and illegal recording of young mendrinking alcohol,” it said.
The statement also said Netanyahu had no relationship with Maimon and wasnot aware of Yair Netanyahu’s friendship with his son.
It said the premier had met Maimon “once 10 years ago”.
Netanyahu repeated this on Tuesday, while saying his efforts to develop thegas fields were always in Israel’s best interests.
According to the family, the recording was made by a driver from the primeminister’s office. Israeli media reported that the driver has long sinceresigned for unrelated reasons.
The recording was a new blow to Netanyahu, who is already facing twoseparate graft investigations.
Police are probing Netanyahu over allegations he received expensive giftsfrom wealthy supporters. He is also being investigated over an alleged dealhe sought with a newspaper publisher for favourable coverage.
Netanyahu, who has been questioned by police seven times in theinvestigations, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Separately, his wife Sara Netanyahu faces a possible trial over allegedmisuse of public funds. She also denies the allegations.
Netanyahu’s effort to approve a natural gas framework to develop Israel’ssignificant offshore deposits met stiff resistance from oppositionpoliticians and public protests.
After protracted political and bureaucratic challenges to the framework,including objections from anti-trust officials, Israel’s supreme court inMarch 2016 struck it down.
It was later revised and given final approval. Netanyahu argued on Tuesdaythat the framework had opened Israel’s gas market to further competition toMaimon’s detriment.
Yair Netanyahu has drawn controversy in the past, including over a bizarreFacebook post in September suggesting there was a conspiracy against hisfamily. The post included a series of anti-Semitic images. -Agencies