Netanyahu's Western Wall Visit Security Cost Reaches $400,000

The security detail for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the Western Wall on the eve of Yom Kippur cost an estimated 1.5 million shekels (approximately $400,000), according to a report by Channel 13 news. The extensive security measures included the deployment of hundreds of police officers, generators, fences, and protected walkways along sterile routes. Special armor and electronic warfare equipment to counter drones were also acquired.

Sources familiar with the operation described the scale of the preparations as "a small military operation" due to the significant security complexities involved. Both the Prime Minister's Office and the Shin Bet security agency declined to comment on the specifics of the security arrangements.

Netanyahu attended the final Selichot (penitential prayers) service before Yom Kippur alongside his wife Sara. He prayed for the safety of IDF soldiers, security forces, and the state. The Prime Minister was situated in a separate, protected area overlooking the Western Wall plaza.

Approximately 150,000 worshippers attended the event, including former hostages Elia Cohen, Rom Barslavsky, Elkana Bohbot, Ohad Ben Ami, and Ziv Avod. The Selichot services held during the month of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance at the Western Wall attracted nearly two million people in total, according to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.