Nochi Dankner to Be Declared Bankrupt After Creditors’ Petition

Nochi Dankner will be declared bankrupt and enter insolvency proceedings after a court hearing on Wednesday requested by four creditor banks. Dankner did not oppose the petition, and his lawyer, Shuli Goldblatt, told the court at the start of the session that they would not resist the banks’ request.

Presiding Judge Nurit Taviv Mizrahi heard Dankner say, “I am giving up. I gave everything I have,” adding that he had pledged his rights in his father’s house, whose main asset is Beit Hanehoshet in Jerusalem, and that he is negotiating a sale. He also said, “For the past ten years I have in effect been insolvent. I did everything, including selling my home and taking help from friends and relatives.”

The banks seeking the order were Bank Leumi, Bank Hapoalim, Mizrahi Tefahot, and Discount Bank. They said Dankner had recently failed to meet the payments under his debt settlement. Of a 180 million shekel debt, he has repaid 110 million shekels.

Dankner said his attempt to rebuild a business through Hushan Foodtech failed because of a problem with an investor. He also said he plans to write about the events of recent years in an autobiography. The court is expected to appoint a trustee over his assets, and once the bankruptcy process begins he will not be allowed to leave Israel or use a credit card.