State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan instructed the Israel Police to examine the corruption allegations made against Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danonn, the Justice Ministry said on Monday.
Danon, a former Likud MK, who serves as the World Likud chairman from 2006 to 2015, allegedly had achieved much of his power by using donations and public funds to create a system that pay millions of shekels in “salaries” to dozens of Likud activists and their families in return for supporting him in the primaries.
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The police examination was the result of an investigative report last week by the Israel Television News Company. Acording to the report toke take hold of a non-profit organization called Making Zionism (“Osim Tzionut”) and placed his confidant Yaakov Hagoel at its helm.
According to the investigation, while serving as head of the World Likud, Danon appointed his associate Yaakov Haguel to head a non-profit organization called Maoz Zionism, which belongs to the Zionist Council. In the years since his appointment, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL) -JNF has begun transferring millions to the organization, especially during 2014, the year primaries in the Likud were held.
The organization launched a project dubbed “Cluster Coordinators” to spread the values of Zionism the world over, with each coordinator paid several thousand shekels.
The report said that Making Zionism has also been planning conferences for Danon using its own funds, In one example, it organized an event which was attended mostly by Likud activists, and in which Danon gave the keynote address.
Both Danon and the Making Zionism organization denied the allegations.
A statement on behalf of Danon said: “All of Ambassador Danon’s actions in his public roles have always been in accordance with all rules and regulation, and obviously this examination will confirm that as well. At the same time, we’re hoping a similar examination will be done in other departments of the World Zionist Organization and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL), which are headed by political representatives from other parties, such as Meretz, Zionist Union and others.”
