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'I paid for my personal expenses out of my own pocket,' said Mr Netanyahu. -- PHOTO: AP
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JERUSALEM - FORMER Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu filed a libel suit Sunday against an Israeli TV channel for publishing what it said was an astronomic tab he ran up during a trip to London while the country was at war.
The Channel 10 report claimed Mr Netanyahu spent more than US$50,000 (S$68,950) during the six-day public relations tour during Israel's war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon in the summer of 2006.
Staying with his wife at one of London's best hotels, the Connaught, the tab also included first class airfare, bar bills, meals, dry cleaning and US$3,170 for theatre tickets, the report said.
The report portrayed Mr Netanyahu, Israel's opposition leader and the current front-runner in national polls for the country's top job, and his wife, Sarah, as spendthrifts living luxuriously while the country was at war. In addition, the report alleged some of the money came from a wealthy supporter, which could constitute an ethics violation.
Mr Netanyahu charged the report was inaccurate and politically motivated and had his lawyers file a lawsuit in a Tel Aviv court demanding 2 million shekels in damages from the station.
'I paid for my personal expenses out of my own pocket,' Mr Netanyahu told a news conference on Sunday. 'I acted for the state, not at the expense of the state.'
A Netanyahu spokesman, Mr Avi Harow, said the trip was paid for by State of Israel Bonds, a government company that raises funds for Israel abroad, by British Jewish groups, and by Mr Netanyahu himself.
Everything was done according to parliamentary guidelines, he said.
The Channel 10 reporter, Mr Raviv Drucker, declined comment. The station released a statement saying only, 'Everything said in Raviv Drucker's report was based on documents we obtained.' -- AP
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