Government records released this week have detailed operating expenses for Israel's prime ministerial residences during 2025 and the first half of 2026, covering costs for food, maintenance, gardening, renovations, utilities, and food delivery services. The Prime Minister's Office contends that overall spending remains substantially lower than under previous administrations.
The figures were obtained from the Prime Minister's Office and published Tuesday by Israel's Movement for Freedom of Information. Total expenditures for the residences reached ₪1,979,517 in 2025, with spending of ₪731,081 during the first six months of 2026.
The records classify the Prime Minister's private residence on Gaza Street and the Netanyahu family home in Caesarea as private residences for the first time this year. The official Prime Minister's Residence on Balfour Street, currently undergoing renovations, is listed as "support apartments."
In 2025, food and groceries accounted for ₪165,444, while landscaping at the Caesarea property cost ₪94,957. Wolt food deliveries totaled ₪2,700 in August 2025, and preventative work addressing tree roots at the Caesarea property came to ₪10,590. The records include a redacted expenditure of ₪63,033 with no vendor or purpose information disclosed.
During early 2026, food expenses totaled ₪53,584, bathtub replacement at the Gaza Street residence cost ₪14,986, electricity bills reached ₪31,509, maintenance and upkeep came to ₪42,698, and thermostat replacements at Caesarea cost ₪4,657.
Hidi Negev, CEO of the Movement for Freedom of Information, stated: "Once again, we were forced to petition the court in order to expose information about the expenses of the Prime Minister's residences, and once again a wasteful policy in the use of public funds at the Prime Minister's residences has been revealed. At a time when the public is bearing a heavy economic burden and dealing with the consequences of the war, it is especially important to act responsibly and with full transparency regarding public expenditures."
The Prime Minister's Office countered that the data show significantly lower expenses under Prime Minister Netanyahu compared to previous administrations. It noted that during former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's tenure, operating expenses totaled ₪1,370,362 (excluding personnel and security), while under Prime Minister Netanyahu, comparable expenses amounted to ₪465,319 (excluding personnel and security), "less than one-third of the spending during Bennett's term."