Israeli PM Residence Renovation Costs Total 103 Million Shekels, Including 67 Million for Security

The renovation of the Israeli Prime Minister's official residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem, ongoing since late 2022 and expected to conclude in 2026, is projected to cost 103 million shekels, with 67 million shekels allocated specifically for security measures. To date, 33 million shekels have been spent, but the final accounting with contractors has not yet been completed. This information was disclosed by the Prime Minister's Office in response to a freedom of information petition filed by the Givat Mordechai community association to the Jerusalem District Court, amid the fact that the Balfour residence has not been in use for five years.

The Prime Minister's Office declined to provide detailed costs for renovations at the Prime Minister's residence in Caesarea following a Hezbollah drone attack, stating that only external security fortifications were made and that these details are confidential. Similarly, the office refused to disclose the extensive renovation expenses for the Prime Minister's residence on Azza Street in Jerusalem.

Regarding former Prime Ministers' residences, the office reported that the renovation and security upgrade of Naftali Bennett's official residence in Ra'anana cost a total of 71,825 shekels, covering plaster repairs, painting, furniture protection, and parking area improvements. This contradicts claims of multi-million shekel renovations. For Yair Lapid's residence in Tel Aviv, an acoustic wall around a generator was built in 2022 for 19,305 shekels. Additionally, during Benjamin Netanyahu's 2025 term, minor renovations at the alternate Balfour residence included drywall installation and painting for 6,000 shekels.

The office also provided limited financial details about the canceled and ongoing projects for a new Prime Minister's office and residence at the Government Complex, known as the Almog and Shira projects. Almog's planning and analysis cost 3.1 million shekels in 2016, with a 37.5 million shekel commitment to the Defense Ministry for planning, though no payments have been made yet.

Kobi Eisen, chairman of the Givat Mordechai association, criticized the partial disclosure, highlighting the simultaneous advancement of four different Prime Ministerial residence projects and substantial investments in private property security as unreasonable. He announced plans to file a substantive petition to obtain full transparency, emphasizing the public's right to this information before elections.