High-profile case10/21/2026

New Suspicions in the Kfar Saba Municipality Corruption Affair

The National Fraud Investigations Unit in Lahav 433 is preparing for a series of interrogations of Kfar Saba Mayor Rafi Saar, his wife Meital Saar, and other individuals involved. Police are examining a possible connection between money and benefits Meital allegedly received and municipal decisions favoring developers and contractors; the couple deny the mayor's involvement.

Key facts

•Publication date: October 21, 2026
•Investigating body: the National Fraud Investigations Unit, a unit within Lahav 433
•Court: Rishon LeZion Magistrate's Court
•Individuals involved: Rafi Saar and Meital Saar
•Eight separate incidents are under examination
•Alleged loan agreement: 2.5 million shekels

What Investigators Are Examining

The investigation encompasses eight incidents related to tenders, contracts, and decisions by the Kfar Saba Municipality and the municipal economic development company. These include cleaning, renovations of educational institutions, urban renewal in the Yoseftal neighborhood, street lighting, and the transfer of projects to the economic development company. Investigators are trying to determine whether decisions were made in return for money or other benefits that were allegedly provided to Meital Saar.

The Saar Couple's Positions

Rafi Saar maintains that his wife runs a business independently, that he did not intervene in her affairs, did not know from whom or what amounts she received, and committed no unlawful acts. Meital Saar is not answering some of the questions concerning the receipt and transfer of money, but denies her husband's involvement. Police are also examining the possibility that the couple coordinated their accounts in advance in the event of arrest and interrogation.

The Legal Aspect of the Suspicions

Meital Saar does not hold an official position in the municipality, and therefore her status as the mayor's wife does not in itself make her a public servant for the purpose of accepting a bribe. However, the source notes that if evidence exists, it would be possible to examine her potential involvement in a corruption offense as an accomplice or intermediary. Police believe that the documents collected may link the alleged benefits to Meital with the mayor's actions, but the article contains no final determinations by the court.

The Arrests and Continuation of the Investigation

The Rishon LeZion Magistrate's Court noted that the period of detention in the investigation is nearing its end. Following the interrogations, police must decide whether to seek a third extension of the couple's detention or agree to their release under significant restrictive conditions, including a ban on entering municipal facilities, a ban on leaving Israel, and financial guarantees. Developers Eitan Sapir and Ephraim Kahlon were expected to be released, most likely to house arrest; the investigation itself will continue.

The 2.5 Million Shekel Agreement

Among the documents under examination is an alleged loan agreement for 2.5 million shekels, under which Meital Saar was supposed to receive the money. According to the published information, the funds were not actually transferred under this agreement. At the stage described, there is no prosecution witness in the affair who has signed an agreement with the state.

What this means for you

The article describes a stage in a police investigation, not a conviction or final determination of guilt. For Kfar Saba residents, this means that municipal tenders and decisions concerning several projects are being examined on suspicion of a possible connection to private benefits. The suspects' release from detention would also not indicate the end of the investigation or the removal of the suspicions.

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Case analysis based on court rulings