As the government seeks to pass its austerity budget, one that Bituach Leumi predicts will send 45,000 additional families under the poverty line, organizers of the 90th gala birthday celebration for President Shimon Peres are sparing no expense. For the average Israeli, the presidential birthday party is too extravagant, and they question how such sums can be spent when only a few short weeks ago, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu came under fire for paying to have a bed installed on an international flight to the UK.
Supporters of the president and the event insist that Mr. Peres brings countless sums and international support to Israel by his unparalleled political connections with world leaders, and whatever the sum, Israel only stands to benefit by such a gala event. They also feel that for Peres, who has dedicated his life to public service, and still doing so at the age of 90, the event is in good taste and not extravagant.
One of the guests speakers at the event will be former US President Bill Clinton, who Yediot Achronot reports received $500,000 (half a million) for his 45-minute address. Clinton was paid a year in advance to make certain that he saved the date.
While most of the sum was donated by private benefactors, $500,000 will be paid by the Jewish National Fund abroad. JNF’s participation is linked to its General Assembly held in Israel the same week, which is expected to attract donors from 40 nations. The payment to Clinton was not made to the former president directly but given to the charitable institute that carries his name towards benefiting the environment and other noble causes.
When JNF officials were contacted for a comment, they explain The Peres Academic Center in Rehovot invited the former president and closed on the sum for his address.
The dinner in the president’s honor will be held in Rehovot on June 17, 2013. President’s Peres’ bureau chief, Efrat Duvdevani, sent a letter to organizers informing them Mr. Peres will not attend if the event turns into a fundraiser. The President’s Residence is aware the event is becoming an embarrassment as well as an eyesore for many, as tickets are selling for NIS 3,000 a plate.
Following the news surrounding the exorbitant sums being spent on the event, Peres Academic Center released a statement to the press that no fundraising will take place at the event and none of the participants will have to pay to attend.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
3 Responses
An outrageous waste of money that should be put towards much more important things.
This is the president of Israel, a former prime minister and a man who has served the country for 65+ years – yes 65 Can’t you fargin him?
This article does not report that the government of Israel is spending a dime on President Peres’s birthday party. It opens with a reference to the government’s austerity budget, but fails to report that any government funds are being used for the celebration. This is either bad writing, bad editing, or flim-flam, trying to create the impression that President Peres or his supporters are partying on the Israeli taxpayers’ dime (or tenth-of-a-shekel).
To commenter no. 1: whose money is being wasted – Israeli taxpayers’ or private charities’?