PUBLISHED: 17:53 EST, 3 June 2013 | UPDATED: 17:55 EST, 3 June 2013
Hillary Clinton isn’t the only one in their powerful family to be raking in cash on the speakers circuit as former President Bill is scheduled to make a half a million dollars for speaking less than an hour.
President Clinton is being paid $500,000 to speak at Israeli President Shimon Peres’ birthday celebration in Israel on June 17.
The fee is being paid by the Jewish National Fund, a non-profit group that will write the check to the former President’s charity, the William J. Clinton Foundation.
Pricy speaker: The $500,000 fee that Clinton is eliciting will go to his charitable foundation
The interests of the two groups align as they are both dedicated to environmental preservation initiatives and global health programs.
Clinton is due to speak at the Peres Academic Center in Rehovot, Israel where a celebration is being held in honor of Peres’ 90th birthday in two weeks.
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The New York Post reports that many Israeli media commentators are upset about the size of the speaking fee, as it is significantly higher than the average fee that President Clinton normally receives for his time on the speakers circuit.
On average, he mades $180,000 per speech, and the one at Peres’ birthday is expected to only take about 45 minutes, making it shorter than most.
Living legend: Clinton will be traveling to Israel to speak at a birthday party for Shimon Peres (seen here with President Obama during his March visit to the Middle East)
Shindig: The event will be held on June 17 at the Peres Academic Center in Rehovot
The editorial staff at Haaretz, a liberal newspaper in Israel, wrote that the fee being paid by the Jewish National Fund is a ’cause for embarrassment’.
‘Aren’t (the JNF) supposed to plant trees with donor cash? I guess money does grow on trees,’ they wrote in response to the non-profit’s decision to spend the money on the speech.
While the hefty sum is causing uproar in Israel, it isn’t breaking any records for Clinton, has his most lucrative speech came when he spoke to technology company Ericsson and brought home $750,000 in doing so.
Prior engagements: Clinton has spoken in front of the Jewish National Fund in 2001 (left) and 2006 (right)
He made $75.6million from 2001 to 2010 from speaking engagements, making $10.7million in 2010 alone and an additional $13.4million in 2011.
His wife, former Secretary of State and likely 2016 presidential nominee Hillary, is also making a dent on the speaking circuit.
In April she gave her first speech since leaving office and was expected to make a six-figure sum for speaking to the National Multi Housing Council in Dallas.
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