Netanyahu's Residence Security Costs Soar to Over 127 Million Shekels

Security projects at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residences have cost 127,432,277 shekels between 2023 and October 2026, according to data released by the Prime Minister's Office. The expenditures cover the official residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem, the private residence on Gaza Street in Jerusalem recognized as official, and the private home in Caesarea. The figures were revealed following a Freedom of Information request by the Givat Mordechai Community Association, which petitioned the Jerusalem District Court.

Spending in 2023 was 10.9 million shekels, rising to 27.8 million in 2024. A significant jump occurred in 2025 with 72.5 million shekels, and an additional 16.2 million was spent by October 2026. In contrast, the total spent on security for all residences from 2020 to 2022, the three years preceding Netanyahu's current term, was approximately 29 million shekels.

The Prime Minister's Office attributes the increase from 2024 to a heightened threat level, necessitating substantial investment in securing the official residence, likely in response to a drone strike on Netanyahu's Caesarea villa in 2024. This revelation comes amid Netanyahu's past criticism of his predecessor, Naftali Bennett, regarding renovations at his private home, which Netanyahu claimed cost 50 million shekels.

During the terms of Bennett and Yair Lapid (2021-2022), approximately 22.7 million shekels were spent on all residences combined, though some payments for work from that period may have been made later. The State Comptroller reported Bennett's home renovations cost about 24.9 million shekels.

The Security Department of the Prime Minister's Office opposed releasing specific figures per residence, citing potential security risks and the possibility of revealing security priorities to adversaries. They argued that such detailed information, especially during a period of high threat, could allow adversaries to assess security levels and plan attacks. Alon Halva, Deputy Director General for Security, Emergency, Information and Cyber, stated that the sheer amount could enable adversaries to deduce the level of protection at each residence.

However, Kobi Eisen, chairman of the Givat Mordechai Community Association, argued in court that quantitative data does not harm security and allows the public to know how much is invested in private homes, especially since Netanyahu himself had previously highlighted spending on Bennett's home. He stressed the importance of voters having this information before elections.

Deputy District Court President Arnon Darel ordered the Prime Minister's Office to provide a breakdown of expenditures for private versus public residences and by government, with the next hearing scheduled to determine if this segmented information will be released to the public.