Kfar Saba Mayor and Wife Arrested in Sweeping Corruption Probe

Kfar Saba Mayor Rafi Saar, his wife, and 22 others were arrested on October 22 in connection with a large-scale public sector corruption investigation led by the Lahav-433 special police unit. Authorities suspect officials received substantial cash payments for manipulating tenders to benefit specific interests. A police source described the situation as "selling the city, no less."

Saar, elected in 2018, has temporarily suspended his mayoral duties during the investigation. He stated he would fully cooperate with authorities and expressed hope that the facts would prove his innocence. He asked residents to refrain from drawing conclusions until the investigation is complete and assured them that municipal operations and services would continue normally, with Deputy Mayor Dani Harush stepping in during his absence.

The secret investigation, launched in May 2025 by the Lahav-433 National Fraud Unit, targets suspects for bribery, fraud, breach of trust, money laundering, and tax offenses. Following interrogations, 17 individuals were ordered held under arrest, while seven others were released under restrictive conditions. Searches were conducted at 30 locations.

Police highlighted the mayor's wife as a "dominant and central figure" in the scheme, despite holding no official public position. Businesspeople reportedly approached her with tender interests, and she negotiated "packages of mutual concessions." She allegedly received cash payments from clients. Investigators suspect projects were channeled through a municipal economic company, rather than the mayor's office, to conceal favoritism and suspected tender manipulation. A coordination between the couple and the company's CEO, who allegedly knew in advance who would win tenders, is being examined. In some cases, "superfluous" bidders allegedly faced obstacles forcing their withdrawal from tenders covering diverse city services, including school renovations, business openings, recreational areas, and projects in sports, transportation, street lighting, and sanitation.

Investigators are also examining the couple's "hedonistic lifestyle," with allegations that cash funded foreign trips, jewelry, clothing, and bags. Large sums of cash, expensive jewelry, watches, luxury items, and vehicles were found during searches. The mayor's wife was recently questioned after customs officers found 20,000 shekels in cash on her at Ben Gurion Airport.

Furthermore, the investigation is exploring alleged links between the mayor, his wife, and criminal groups in the HaSharon region. Intelligence suggests criminal figures may have influenced municipal elections by pressuring political rivals of the mayor. Police are scrutinizing the nature of these connections. A police source reiterated that the investigation indicates "the city was sold," adding that the mayor's wife reportedly "held the keys to the city," a detail noted in local newspapers. The economic department of the State Prosecutor's Office is overseeing the ongoing investigation into the scope of the criminal activity and the roles of those involved.