Netanyahu to Eduardo Elstein: Former PM's advisor Farah Lerner moved to IDB

June 15, 2017   

New appointment at the IDB Group, controlled by ultra-Orthodox businessman Eduardo Elstein: Farah Lerner, former advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been appointed VP of Regulation at Deskash and will also provide services to the parent company IDB Development and the group's subsidiaries, in the field of government relations. This was reported this morning (Thursday) by journalist Golan Hazani in Calcalist. Lerner, who served as a liaison between the Prime Minister and the Knesset, was dismissed from civil service last February, after she was suspected of using her connections to promote the businesses of her husband Avi Lerner, owner of the Lerner.com office, which provides public relations and strategic consulting. As part of the investigation against Lerner, which was opened openly in October 2015, she was questioned with a warning on suspicion of receiving something fraudulently. The police announced a year ago that they had prima facie evidence that Lerner acted in a conflict of interest, but Lerner ultimately reached a conditional settlement with the prosecutor's office, in which she admitted to disciplinary offenses and actions in a conflict of interest, was dismissed with her consent from the civil service, was suspended from civil service for 5 years, and paid a fine of 20,000 shekels. Lerner joined IDB about six months after that settlement. According to the report in Calcalist, the company explained that after the departure of Haim Gavrieli, the group was left without a senior function to handle government relations issues. Gavrieli, who served as CEO, had connections and acquaintances in the corridors of government in the field of regulation, and with his departure, a void was left in the field that Lerner was chosen to fill - she lacks experience in publicly traded companies and the capital market, but has good connections in the corridors of government and the Likud.