He arranged for his son, Yair, to be placed in a high-level position within the World Zionist Organization, guaranteeing him financial benefits and a status equivalent to a ministerial position in the government.
According to Israeli media reports, Yair Netanyahu was selected as a member of the administrative body of the World Zionist Organization during a meeting held in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening.
His name was announced by the Minister of Sports and Culture, Miki Zohar, a close associate of the Netanyahu family, in a move that seemed like an official announcement of an heir to the first political family in Israel.
Under this new position, Yair is expected to receive a private office, a dedicated car, and a large operating budget, in addition to a salary close to that of a minister in the government.
This position also guarantees him a full five-year term.
The World Zionist Organization, founded more than a century ago, is considered one of the most important institutions with political and financial influence in Israel.
Observers believe that it has now become a platform for enshrining “Netanyahuism” as a family approach, similar to what happens in some countries, where politics turns into a family legacy passed from father to son.
Israeli sources present at the conference reported that discussions stopped for a moment after the announcement of this appointment, amidst a state of astonishment.
Some representatives of the parties participating in the conference described this decision as a “blatant deal between the ruling coalition and the ruling family,” while others considered that Netanyahu had turned the Zionist institutions into part of his personal office.
In a scenario similar to what happens in some places, where positions are granted to the sons of leaders and political heirs, Yair Netanyahu’s appointment has sparked a discussion about the extent of family nepotism within the Israeli system itself.
It seems that Netanyahu, who has spent more than two decades in power, is determined to secure his son’s political future through the World Zionist Organizations, similar to some leaders who seek to pave the way for their sons to succeed the leadership before their departure.
The opposition “Yesh Atid” party issued a strongly worded statement, describing the appointment as “a scandalous act.”
The party said: “What happened is not an election but a political inheritance for the Netanyahu family, and it is a stigma on the Zionist institutions.”
One commentator in the “Haaretz” newspaper concludes sarcastically: “In one place they bequeath the leadership, and in another place Netanyahu bequeaths the state… The only difference is that the first is called political families, and the second is called the new Israel.”
