Israel's PM Office Reveals Costs of Medical Teams on Foreign Trips

By איתמר אייכנר

Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba

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Hebrew · 1 newsroom

Israel's Prime Minister's Office revealed it spent NIS 386,000 on medical teams for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's foreign trips since 2023. The costs cover per diems, expenses, and flights for 14 trips. The Movement for Freedom of Information highlighted the need for transparency regarding the Prime Minister's health and fitness for office.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Prime Minister's Office spent NIS 386,000 on medical teams for Netanyahu's 14 foreign trips since 2023.
The disclosed costs include NIS 333,000 for per diems and expenses, plus NIS 53,000 for flights.
2025 was the most expensive year, with medical team expenses reaching approximately NIS 170,000.
A fixed annual fee of NIS 30,000 plus VAT is paid to the head of the medical team, Dr. Herman Bercovitz.
The Movement for Freedom of Information called for transparency on Netanyahu's health and fitness for office.

The Prime Minister's Office has disclosed that it spent approximately NIS 386,000 (about $105,000 USD) on medical teams accompanying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 14 foreign trips since 2023. This figure includes NIS 333,000 for per diems and expenses, and NIS 53,000 for flights.

The year with the highest expenditure was 2025, totaling around NIS 170,000. In addition to these travel costs, there is a fixed annual fee of NIS 30,000 plus VAT for the head of the medical team, Dr. Herman Bercovitz, along with insurance reimbursements.

This disclosure marks the first time the Prime Minister's Office has revealed details about its engagements with doctors joining the Prime Minister's international travels. Prior to 2023, only a permanent medical team of a doctor and paramedic from Unit 730 accompanied the Prime Minister. Since early 2023, a dedicated medical team, led by Dr. Bercovitz, has been traveling with Netanyahu.

The disclosed costs detail the expenses for specific medical personnel. Cardiologist Dr. Eyal Heller accompanied six trips, costing NIS 149,009. Cardiologist Dr. Zvi Sirotkin joined three trips, costing NIS 110,363. Pacemaker technician Chen Kabesa traveled twice for NIS 41,075, and urologist Dr. Mordechai Duvdevani made three trips costing NIS 32,817. The flights for these team members, considered part of the official entourage, cost an additional $16,800, with each doctor's round-trip flight estimated at $1,200.

For comparison, the medical team for former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid cost a total of NIS 21,060 over nine months, with no additional flight expenses. Hidi Negev, CEO of the Movement for Freedom of Information, stated that the Prime Minister's Office consistently avoids publishing updated reports and emphasized the need for transparency regarding the Prime Minister's fitness for office, especially given Netanyahu's age of 77.