Spanish Twitterer Israel Melendez has reaped a surprise bonanza from his state namesake after the Israeli government splashed out a six figure sum to obtain the rights to his @Israel Twitter account.

Melendez, a porn website administrator, was contacted directly via his Twitter account with a message from the office of the Israeli prime minister asking if it could be bought.

Despite Twitter forbidding the reproduction, duplication, sale or trade of usernames the deal apparently went through without hiccup.

The site had become host to a welter of irate messages criticising Israeli policies but serves as a platform for the Israeli government to communicate their thinking to the wider world.

A two month negotiating process is said to have been conducted with the Israeli foreign ministries Chaim Sacham, culminating in Melendez giving his account password by phone at the Israeli consulate in Miami whereupon he was handed a six figure cheque.