Uber lobbied Netanyahu envoys to operate in Israel
Uber briefly operated in 2017 in Israel but was shut down after a court ruling
Ride-hailing company Uber allegedly enlisted the help of former ambassadors to Israel and the United States, lobbying then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for entry into the Israeli market, according to leaked documents on Sunday regarding an ongoing investigation by the Transportation Ministry.
Uber also drafted its own bill for Israeli parliament (Knesset) approval as part of its efforts to operate freely in the country, according to a series of leaked documents called The Uber Files, obtained by the British newspaper The Guardian and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
The documents explain how the company got to Netanyahu, who promised to "break the resistance" of then-transport minister Israel Katz, who reportedly maintained close ties with Israel's taxi union.
Eli Groner, who was, at the time, the director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, helped the company adapt its message to the Israeli public and the local media.
The files were shared with 180 journalists from 44 media outlets worldwide - including the Washington Post, Le Monde, the BBC and the Israeli organization Shomrim - detailing the ride-sharing giant's operations around the world.
According to Shomrim, the bill drafted by Uber was reportedly submitted with very few edits to the Knesset three times by three different lawmakers from different parties.
Uber briefly operated in 2017 in Israel but was shut down after a court ruling decreed it could not use private drivers. However, the company recently announced that it intends to re-enter the Israeli market soon with cab drivers.