Netanyahu brings his dirty laundry to White House: officials

JERUSALEM: Most politicians go to great lengths to conceal their dirty laundry. And then there’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Over the years, the Israeli leader has developed a reputation among the staff at the US president’s guesthouse for bringing special cargo on his trips to Washington: bags and suitcases full of dirty laundry, according to US officials familiar with the matter.

The clothes are cleaned for the prime minister free of charge by the US staff, a perk that is available to all foreign leaders but sparingly taken advantage of given the short stays of busy heads of state. “The Netanyahus are the only ones who bring actual suitcases of dirty laundry for us to clean,” said one US official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the details of a foreign leader’s visits. “After multiple trips, it became clear this was intentional.”