Likud Sold Party Assets to Associates at Significant Discounts

The ruling party has been busy this week mainly with primaries and the 'slotting' of candidates by party leader Benjamin Netanyahu, but for the last five years, it has also been heavily involved in selling party assets. A Calcalist investigation reveals that since 2021, Likud has sold 8 of its 37 assets, with four of these transactions made to stakeholders in the party: members of the party's central committee, associates of its leadership, or their family members.

The transactions are carried out with the approval of the party's CEO. Currently, the acting CEO is David Sharan, who replaced Tzur Siso in October 2025, who had been the party's CEO since 2016. According to the financial reports of the Likud party, which the party submits annually to the State Comptroller, the party currently holds 26 assets spread from Kiryat Shmona to Dimona, compared to 37 assets that were in its possession in 2020. Some of the assets were not sold but were expropriated, or their lease period ended.

Most of the assets are owned by the 'Tel Hai Fund', a private company belonging to the party. The company, established in 1951, is a reincarnation of the historical fund established in London in the 1920s by the Revisionist movement. The fund has historical debts of about 115 million shekels to the Likud movement, and because of this, it is working to realize the real estate in its possession. This money is ultimately supposed to reach the public, given that the ruling party also has debts to the Knesset, which currently stand at about 16 million shekels.

The party's complex economic situation led it in recent years to launch a 'recovery plan', within which 8 assets were sold, including an apartment in Jaffa, branches in Hatzor HaGlilit and Sderot, a hall in Bnei Brak, two shops in Holon, an office in Haifa, and a commercial property in Tirat Carmel. A Calcalist investigation shows that the sale of assets was sometimes carried out at a significant discount on the market price, and sometimes the sale advertisements ran in WhatsApp groups of Likud members, potentially favoring those who influence the decision to sell.

Discounts for Insiders

One of the assets sold in January 2026 is the Likud branch in Bnei Brak, measuring about 120 square meters. It was sold for nearly 1.7 million shekels to a group of investors, including Zvi Fishbach, the 'strong man' in the Bnei Brak branch, and Adv. Dubi Shertzer — a key defense witness in Netanyahu's trial. Appraisers suggest the deal reflects a discount of at least hundreds of thousands of shekels. Yaakov Wider, the branch chairman who opposed the sale, noted that it is a historical asset that hosted many events since the days of the Herut movement.

In another case, a residential apartment in Jaffa, located at 90 Jerusalem Blvd, was sold in October 2025 to a Likud central committee member, Eliyahu Tzaada, and his family members. Despite being zoned as residential, the property was reported to the Tax Authority as an office and sold for 1.77 million shekels. Experts estimate the discount could reach up to a million shekels below market value.

Contradictions in Reporting

The Likud branch in Tirat Carmel was sold to the Vanunu family (including the son of former deputy mayor Yitzhak Vanunu) for 2.5 million shekels. The branch in Hatzor HaGlilit was sold to activist Avi Bonifad for 1.4 million shekels. Notably, there is a discrepancy between Likud's financial reports, which describe the property as a 147-square-meter apartment, and Tax Authority records, which list it as a 42-square-meter shop.

Other transactions, such as the sale of an office in Haifa and two properties in Holon, were found by Calcalist to be in line with market prices and not connected to party officials.

The State Comptroller's office confirmed that it is currently conducting an audit of the 2025 faction accounts, including the management of Likud's party assets.