Israeli PM’s wife to pay $15,000 to close case accusing her of running up large bills at luxury restaurants

Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli prime minister, has agreed a plea bargain to settle allegations that she overspent some $100,000 (£79,000) of state money on lavish meals, prosecutors said.

She will pay around $15,000 in fines to quietly close the case, which accused her of running up large tabs at luxury restaurants for friends and family while the official prime minister’s residence employed a full-time chef.

Last year, Sara Netanyahu, 60, was indicted on charges of fraud and breach of trust. According to the indictment, she strove “to circumvent the rules and conditions governing the prime minister’s official residence in order to fraudulently obtain state funding for various expenses” from the years 2010 to 2013.

In the plea deal, which was finalised in a Jerusalem court on Wednesday, she admitted to a lesser charge of “intentionally exploiting the mistake of someone else”, specifically by misleading officials who did not realise she already benefited from chefs on the government payroll.

Under the terms of the bargain, she agreed to pay $2,800 in fines and hand $12,500 back to the state. The settlement also reduced the overspending in questions to around $50,000.

The family lawyer confirmed the details of the deal but declined to comment further. The state attorney’s office justified its leniency in a statement, saying Netanyahu deserved credit for confessing to a criminal offence that she had consistently denied.

The prime minister’s wife has long come under fire for extravagant spending and abusive behaviour. In 2016, a court ruled that she had mistreated a housecleaner and awarded the man $42,000 in damages. Other employees have accused her of abuse, charges she and her husband, Benjamin Netanyahu, reject.

Former housekeeper Shira Raban is currently suing Sara Netanyahu for $63,000 in damages over mistreatment and harassment, her lawyer said. She made her first court appearance on Tuesday in Jerusalem.

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But the prime minister remains the focus of the family’s legal troubles. Benjamin Netanyahu is facing an indictment on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, pending a hearing now scheduled for early October.

He has pushed for a postponement, and can still request an extension from the supreme court.

The prime minister is accused of accepting lavish gifts from billionaire friends, and promising to promote advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in exchange for favourable coverage.

He vehemently denies wrongdoing, portraying himself as a victim of a media-orchestrated witch hunt aimed at ousting him.