Oren Hazan
Oren HazanHadas Parush/Flash 90

Controversial Likud MK Oren Hazan is looking for a little good-will from the Tel Aviv municipality, appealing to the city to cancel some 4,000 shekels ($1,036) in parking tickets he managed to accumulate there, BeHadrey Haredim reported.

Hazan, who has refused to pay off the tickets, hopes the municipality will waive the charges because he is “swimming in debt” and unable to come up with the money.

The MK, who has earned the enmity of his own party for skipping Knesset deliberations and votes for parties in Eilat, earlier this month threatened to topple the government after he was punished for failing to attend crucial Knesset votes.

Last year Hazan was reprimanded by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for mocking a disabled MK.

Dogged by his own political baggage, Hazan has turned to his father, former Likud MK Yehiel Hazan, to intercede on this behalf.

The former Knesset Member appealed to the City of Tel Aviv, requesting that at least 2,400 shekels in fines be dropped. He cited his son’s “difficult financial situation”, claiming he was unable to pay off the debt.

Hazan made the claim despite the generous compensation packages given to sitting MKs. Along with a salary of 480,000 shekels a year ($124,300), MKs are given free cars, two assistants each, an office in Jerusalem, foreign travel expenses, free mailing, and roughly, 112,000 shekels a year ($29,000) in budgeting for everything ranging from food to clothes to telecommunications.

According to the Knesset Research and Information Center, MK salaries alone are nearly four times higher than the average wage of full-time workers in Israel.