Netanyahu's Residences Security Costs Soar Fourfold to Over 127 Million Shekels
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Israel's Prime Minister's Office spent nearly 127.5 million shekels on security upgrades for residences between 2023 and 2026, a significant increase from previous years. The costs have risen due to perceived elevated threat levels, particularly from drones. A court has ordered the PMO to provide a breakdown of expenses for private versus official residences, a move the PMO resists citing security concerns. The issue has also brought up past controversies regarding security spending on former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's private home.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister's Office spent 127.4 million shekels on residence security from 2023-2026.
- Security costs for residences have increased significantly compared to 2020-2022 spending.
- PMO cites heightened drone threats as reason for increased security investments.
- A court ordered the PMO to detail expenses for private versus official residences.
- PMO claims releasing detailed security costs could endanger residences.
- The spending figures have reignited debate over past security costs for former PM Bennett's home.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has spent approximately 127.4 million shekels on strengthening and securing the prime minister's residences between 2023 and 2026, the current term of Benjamin Netanyahu. These figures were revealed following a request by the public organization Givat Mordechai to the Jerusalem District Court, which has now demanded a further breakdown to distinguish between private and official residence expenses. According to Ynet, payments in 2023 totaled 10.9 million shekels, rising to 27.8 million in 2024, 72.5 million in 2025, and 16.2 million from January to October 2026. This contrasts sharply with the roughly 29 million shekels spent on all residences from 2020 to 2022.
The PMO attributes the significant increase in costs from 2024 to heightened threat levels, necessitating substantial investments in the official residence, likely due to threats from drones following a Hezbollah drone incident at Netanyahu's Caesarea home in October 2024. The disclosure has reignited debate over past accusations by Netanyahu against former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whom Netanyahu claimed spent 50 million shekels of public funds on his private home in Raanana. State Comptroller data, however, placed the cost of work at Bennett's home at approximately 24.9 million shekels. During Bennett's and Yair Lapid's terms (2021-2022), total residence expenditures were about 22.7 million shekels, though some payments for work done then may have been processed later.
Kobi Eisen, chairman of Givat Mordechai, called the Bennett-related publication false and argued that the public deserves to know the funds invested in prime ministers' private homes. The PMO's security division refused to provide a breakdown by property, citing that such details could allow adversaries to assess protection levels, identify weaknesses, and select targets. Deputy Director General Alon Haliva stated in court that even the total investment amounts could help adversaries compare the security of different residences. Eisen countered that the total cost does not reveal specific expenditures or security measures, information he believes voters need before elections.
The Jerusalem District Court has ordered the PMO to provide a breakdown of expenses between private and official residences by government or period. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for Sunday, October 19, to determine if this detailed information will be made public.
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