The US government paid a generous sum of money to a law firm with close ties to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the month the American embassy was relocated to Al-Quds (Jerusalem).
According to Israeli daily Haaretz, The Washington paid $150,000 to law firm E.S. Shimron, I. Molho, Persky & Co. for legal services provided to the US Consulate in Al-Quds from April 9, 2018 to May 14, which marks the period in which the embassy was transferred from Tel Aviv to Al-Quds.
Two partners at the firm are believed to be close to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu: David Shimron is his cousin and the family’s personal attorney, while Isaac Molho, Shimron’s brother-in-law, has served as Netanyahu’s personal envoy on numerous diplomatic missions, Haaretz reported, citing an official US government website on federal government spending.
According to Haaretz, the firm in question has represented the US Consulate “on matters concerning mostly planning and building economic compounds in Jerusalem and Israeli labor law for some 20 years,” but no other payments were recorded on the website.
Molho had reportedly signed the conflict of interest agreement before becoming the prime minister’s unpaid envoy, and pledged not to handle any issues concerning the US Consulate in Jerusalem at the time. After being investigated in an alleged corruption affair, dubbed “Case 3000,” concerning Israel’s purchase of submarines and missile boats from Germany, Molho, along with Shimron, left his diplomatic post.
Source: Agencies
