Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumIsraeli PM criticized for installing bed on plane
JERUSALEM (AP) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will seek alternate sleeping arrangements when traveling after receiving a sky-high bill for installing a customized bed on a recent flight to London, officials close to the Israeli leader said.
Netanyahu found himself facing a public uproar on Sunday after Channel 10 TV reported over the weekend that he had spent $127,000 in public funds on a special sleeping cabin for the five-hour flight to attend Margaret Thatcher's funeral last month.
Netanyahu's office initially defended the decision, saying the prime minister had a busy schedule ahead of the flight and needed to be fresh for important meetings in Britain.
But following public criticism, officials close to Netanyahu said late Saturday that he had been unaware of the cost, and once informed, he ordered the bed be canceled on all future flights. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Israeli-PM-criticized-for-installing-bed-on-plane-4509044.php
LeftishBrit
(41,205 posts)And for a plane from Israel to the UK (about 5 hours)? That's truly ridiculous!!!
But he would fit right in with the British 'Bullingdon Club' Tory elite, and with Mitt Romney and family!
oberliner
(58,724 posts)He just won - doesn't have to worry about voters.
LeftishBrit
(41,205 posts)instability of governments.
You may, however, be right that Netanyahu doesn't think he has to for a while; and this may explain his arrogant behaviour.
Incidentally 'won' means 'got just over 23% of the vote'. Compared with that, David Cameron's 36% looks almost like a landslide!
oberliner
(58,724 posts)But I doubt there will be a new election anytime soon.