After Nasrallah’s Death, Netanyahu Met NYC Billionaire Amid Hezbollah Threat

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife spent an additional 10 hours at a New York City dinner party hosted by billionaire Simon Falic, a close benefactor, before returning to Israel, following an airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Though Netanyahu’s office initially announced his early return, he extended his stay.

After Nasrallah’s Death, Netanyahu Met NYC Billionaire Amid Hezbollah Threat
Netanyahu at UNGA

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife spent an extra 10 hours at a dinner party hosted by a close benefactor and campaign donor, billionaire Simon Falic, in New York City, before returning to Israel about 24 hours after an aistrike took out Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, several media outlets reported on Sunday.

Netanyahu’s office had announced that he would return to Israel early from his US trip, where he spoke at the United Nations General Assembly. However, the Israeli PM decided to spend some extra time with Falic. This sparks concerns as the 74-year-old had reportedly bunked in the NYC billionaire’s ‘missile-proof’ residence in Talpiot amid fears of an Iranian attack back in April.

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This week, Israel was expecting Hezbollah to launch a revenge attack after Nasrallah was killed.

Reports add that images of the Shabbat dinner were posted on social media, before being removed overnight. Haaretz published the photos on its website. Netanyahu is yet to issue a formal statement on the reported meeting with Falic.

Simon Falic is a known close friend of the Netanyahus. He was seen sitting next to the prime minister and his wife at the dinner table. The billionaire’s daughter and son-in-law were also present. The dinner was hosted at a New York hotel.

Haaretz further reports that orthodox Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who called Netanyahu ‘the greatest leader Israel has ever produced’ was also at the venue.

“Given the successful attack on Hezbollah headquarters earlier in the day, it was obviously a historic night. We did not know at the time whether or not monster terrorist Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, was still alive or roasting in hell. We would only find out hours later,” Boteach wrote on Instagram.