Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial for accepting 2,00,000 in gifts from two billionaire friends. But, that has not stopped him from seeking another gift from a wealthy friend to pay for his legal defense.

The awkward arrangement opens a window into the very ties with billionaire friends that plunged Netanyahu into legal trouble and sheds light on the intersection of money and Israeli politics. Netanyahu has asked an Israeli oversight committee to allow a 10 million shekel USD 2.9 million donation from Spencer Partrich, a Michigan-based real estate magnate, to fund his legal defense.