Netanyahu Moves to Secret Jerusalem Residence Amid Extensive Renovations and Public Scrutiny

A recent investigation by Haaretz revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife have relocated to a newly renovated state-funded apartment in Jerusalem. This move comes after years of costly renovations and security upgrades across seven different official and private residences associated with Netanyahu, including the official Prime Minister's residence on Balfour Street, a villa in Caesarea, and a duplex on Gaza Street. The renovations, which include extensive security measures mandated by the Shin Bet, have reportedly cost close to 100 million shekels, with additional tens of millions spent on private homes.

The new residence, located in a residential building in Jerusalem, was converted to include personal amenities such as a beauty salon and manicure tables, reflecting requests from Netanyahu and his family. The Prime Minister's son, Yair Netanyahu, has also been frequently seen at the new location. The move to this secretive residence contradicts existing legislation that entitles the Prime Minister only to an official residence and reimbursement for relevant expenses at his private home.

This development follows previous controversies over renovations during former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's tenure, which involved a 25 million shekel upgrade to his private home in Ra'anana. Opposition lawmakers had criticized those renovations, but now face questions as Netanyahu's multiple residences and their associated costs have come to light. The Prime Minister's office declined to clarify the funding source for the new residence or whether Netanyahu personally finances it.

Additionally, plans for a new official Prime Minister's residence and office complex in Jerusalem have been stalled for over a decade due to security concerns raised by the Shin Bet. A 2024 State Comptroller report highlighted that 56 million shekels were spent on securing private residences of recent prime ministers, including 27 million during Netanyahu's current term. The report also criticized the prolonged delays in establishing a new official residence and office building.

The revelations have intensified public debate over the use of taxpayer funds for the Prime Minister's multiple residences and the transparency of these expenditures, especially amid ongoing political tensions and scrutiny of government spending.