Netanyahu spent nearly a million shekels for garden maintenance in 2025, report reveals

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residences incurred nearly NIS 2 million in expenses in 2025, according to figures released by the Movement for Freedom of Information. The expenses covered food purchases, gardening, and maintenance across various properties, including the Gaza Street house, additional private residences, and the Caesarea residence. The official Balfour Street residence was classified as "support apartments" due to ongoing renovations.

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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.

Among the reported expenses, NIS 165,444 was allocated for food, with an additional NIS 2,700 for Wolt deliveries in August 2025 alone. Gardening at the Caesarea residence cost NIS 94,957, including NIS 10,590 for preventive treatment against root penetration. Notably, a total of NIS 63,033 in expenses were completely redacted, with no information provided on suppliers or the nature of the expenditures.

In the first half of 2026, residence expenses totaled NIS 731,081, including NIS 53,584 for food. Other costs included NIS 42,698 for maintenance, NIS 14,986 for a bathtub replacement at the Gaza Street residence, NIS 31,509 for electricity, and NIS 4,657 for thermostat replacements at Caesarea.

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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.

Attorney Hidi Negev, executive director of the Movement for Freedom of Information, criticized the "wasteful policy" and the need to petition the court for such information. She emphasized the importance of responsible and transparent use of public funds, especially during economic hardship and the consequences of war, calling for proactive and regular publication of expenses.

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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.