THE Israeli attorney general’s office said yesterday that it was probing a French tycoon’s claim that he funded Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu’s election campaign to the tune of €1 million (£785,000)

Billionaire playboy Arnaud Mimran made the admission under oath in a Paris court where he is on trial for his role in a €283m (£222m) VAT-dodging scam.

Israeli media ran photos yesterday of Mr Netanyahu on holiday with the alleged crook in Monaco in 2003.