Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly demanded friends provide thousands of dollars of champagne and cigars on command

Israeil Prime Minister and wife.
(Image credit: GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife apparently demanded gifts of champagne and cigars from two businessmen and their personal aides, Haaretz reported Tuesday. Hadas Klein, an aide to Israeli-American filmmaker Arnon Milchan and Australian businessman James Packer, is reported to have told Israeli police investigators that "there was an understanding that Arnon had to supply the Netanyahus with whatever they want."

Netanyahu was named in August as a suspect in two corruption investigations and has been interviewed by investigators five times. The first case, known as Case 1,000, deals with improper gifts; the second, Case 2,000, alleges that Netanyahu arranged financial benefits in exchange for positive press coverage.

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Kelly O'Meara Morales

Kelly O'Meara Morales is a staff writer at The Week. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and studied Middle Eastern history and nonfiction writing amongst other esoteric subjects. When not compulsively checking Twitter, he writes and records music, subsists on tacos, and watches basketball.