Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sarah, undertook several international trips over the past year, some of which extended into weekends, generating controversy in Israel.
In response to public interest, the Prime Minister's Office released details on the costs of Netanyahu’s flights in 2023, as well as those of former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid in 2021 and 2022.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara land in New York in 2023
(Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO)
Netanyahu’s extended visit to New York and San Francisco in September 2023, which included a speech at the United Nations General Assembly and a weekend stay in New York, cost $3,349,489. The trip, lasting from September 18 to September 24, cost $474,498 per day. The suite at the Regency Hotel, where the couple stayed, was priced at approximately $4,000 per day, totaling $28,000 for the week.
For comparison, Bennett’s visit to New York in 2021 cost $1,652,000 over three days, averaging $550,666 per day. Lapid’s visit in 2022 amounted to $1,700,850 over five days, or $340,170 per day.
In February 2023, the Netanyahus’ weekend trip to Paris cost Israeli taxpayers $1,010,000 for three days, averaging $336,667 per day. The suite they stayed in cost $4,000 per day, with a 30-member entourage accompanying them. The average cost of a standard room for entourage members was $1,145 per night.
In March, the couple spent four days in London, including a weekend, at a cost of $839,500, or $209,875 per day. Their suite cost $1,223 per day, totaling $3,668 for the entire visit. Another March visit to Rome cost approximately half a million dollars over three days, with their suite priced at $5,041 per day.
Their Berlin trip from March 15-17 cost $302,000, with the suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel priced at $3,704 per day, totaling $11,112 for the stay. A short visit to Cyprus lasted about two days and cost $274,127, with the suite at the City of Dreams Mediterranean priced at $2,155 for the entire visit.
The Prime Minister's Office also provided cost details for Bennett and Lapid’s travels during their tenures. Bennett’s trip to Washington in 2021 cost $1.5 million over four days, with his suite costing $1,000 per day. His visit to Sochi, Russia, in October 2021, where he met with President Vladimir Putin, cost $111,727, while his trip to the climate conference in Glasgow that same month cost £443,000 (about $573,396).
Bennett’s trip to Bahrain in February 2022 cost $172,620, and his one-day visit to Abu Dhabi in June 2022 cost $315,474. Lapid’s travels included a July 2022 trip to Paris, which cost $243,575 over two days, and a visit to Berlin in September 2022, costing $700,500. His July 27, 2022, trip to Jordan incurred minimal expenses, totaling 4,000 shekels (approximately $1,100), primarily for security.
“The travel data for prime ministers between 2021-2023 include the costs of flights and accommodation for the prime minister, his entourage, spouses, security personnel and other officials, as approved by the office's accountant. Flight costs are managed by the government travel company 'Inbal' and vary based on factors such as the timing of the flight, demand, visit duration, and booking date," the Prime Minister's Office said.
The office further explained that accommodation costs are handled by the Foreign Ministry through local embassies and consulates, following ministry protocols. Additionally, security expenses for the prime minister and his entourage are adjusted according to the threat level defined by the Shin Bet's Personnel Security Unit.