Israeli Government Hit By Corruption Investigation

The Israeli political scene received another shock on Wednesday as police detained dozens of senior government officials in a wide reaching corruption investigation, saying they have siphoned off tens of millions of shekels in public funds donated by various charities and given it to their political allies. Yisrael Beytenu’s Deputy Interior Minister Faina Kirschenbaum was among the current and former government officials, heads of public corporations, union leaders and political activists detained and questioned, leading party officials to issue a statement saying; “As has happened in every election campaign since Yisrael Beytenu was established in 1999, the police is not giving up on high-profile arrests and investigations against members of our party.” The party also cast doubt on the timing of the announcement, coming as it does in the midst of an election campaign.