The Movement for Freedom of Information revealed the expenses for the prime minister’s residences in 2025 and the first half of 2026 on Tuesday.
For the first time this year, the classification of private residences included the house on Gaza Street, additional private residences, and the additional residence in Caesarea. The official residence on Balfour Street is undergoing renovations and is therefore classified as “support apartments.”
Nearly NIS 65,000 unaccounted for in Netanyahu expenses
In 2025, the total expenses for the residences amounted to NIS 1,979,517. Of this amount, NIS 165,444 was for food purchases, with an additional 2,700 for Wolt deliveries in August 2025 alone.
Another NIS 94,957 was for gardening at the Caesarea residence, and NIS 10,590 went to preventive treatment to prevent roots from penetrating beneath the Caesarea residence.
A total of NIS 63,033 was completely redacted, with no details provided regarding either the supplier’s name or the description of the expense.
In the first half of 2026, the total expenses for the residences amounted to NIS 731,081, with NIS 53,584 going toward food purchases.
Another NIS 42,698 was for maintenance expenses and maintenance products. NIS 14,986 went to replace the bathtub at the private residence on Gaza Street. NIS 31,509 was paid to the Israel Electric Corporation, and NIS 4,657 was used to replace thermostats at the Caesarea residence.
Head of Freedom of Information Movement bemoans need to petition court
“Once again, we were required to petition the court to disclose information about the expenses of the prime minister’s residences, and once again, a wasteful policy involving the use of public funds at the prime minister’s residences has been revealed," Attorney Hidi Negev, executive director of the Movement for Freedom of Information, said.
“Precisely at a time when the entire public is coping with a heavy economic burden and the consequences of the war, it is especially important to act responsibly and with complete transparency regarding public expenditures. This information should be published proactively and regularly, rather than information the public is forced to obtain only following court petitions.
“A properly functioning system is one in which expenses of this kind are transparent and accessible to the public, as part of the obligation to ensure transparency and oversight of the use of public funds.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said in response that “The figures published in the response show that the total expenses for the residences during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s term are significantly lower than those incurred during the terms of previous prime ministers.
“For example, during former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s year in office, ongoing expenses totaled NIS 1,370,362, excluding personnel and security costs, while during the corresponding period under Prime Minister Netanyahu, expenses totaled only NIS 465,319, excluding personnel and security costs, less than one third of the amount spent during Bennett’s term.”