Israeli top model Bar Refaeli found guilty in tax evasion case

Jul 20, 2020

Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli was convicted of tax evasion by a court in Israel today.

The court found Refaeli guilty of four counts of tax offenses and sentenced her to nine months of community service. Refaeli and her mother, fellow model Tzipi Levine, admitted to evading taxes on income worth close to $10 million, The Associated Press reported on Monday.

Refaeli is a model, television host and investor. In Israel, she is known recently for hosting The X Factor Israel television show and the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest held in Tel Aviv.

Refaeli is a controversial figure in Israel. As an internationally recognized star, she is one of the country’s most notable unofficial ambassadors. However, many in Israel are critical of Refaeli because she avoided mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Military service is mandatory for Jewish citizens in Israel. Refaeli reportedly entered into a fictitious marriage to skirt serving in the IDF.

The tax evasion case focused on the height of Refaeli’s modeling career in the late 2000s and early 2010s. She said she spent most of the years in question outside of Israel, thus exempting her from paying the taxes. Prosecutors said she provided false tax information for these claims, according to The Associated Press.

Refaeli and her mother signed a plea deal last month and were convicted today. They will each need to pay a fine of $720,000 and back taxes of $2.3 million, and Levine will serve 16 months in prison, according to The Times of Israel.