PM’s office slams ‘obsessive persecution’ by media on spending

The Prime Minister’s Office slams the “obsessive, petty persecution” of Netanyahu, following media reports of the prime minister’s lavish spending during a New York trip last year.

“The costs of security and the burden of tight security are not up to Prime Minister Netanyahu, as you tried to hint in the reports,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office says. “This attempt at hinting that it is due to Prime Minister Netanyahu that the security costs are high is wrong and misleading.”

The Shin Bet security service determines the security arrangements, and the media reports are “an invasion of privacy,” Netanyahu’s office adds.

Netanyahu racked up an expenses bill of NIS 2.1 million ($541,886) during a visit to the United Nations in New York City last year, a fact his office tried to prevent the public from learning. Among the prime minister’s expenses was $1,600 for hair styling and $1,750 for makeup. The biggest expense on the bill was the NIS 1.5 million ($386,992) flight. A total of NIS 625,000 ($161,344) was spent while actually in New York.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boards a plane to go on an official state visit to Poland, on June 12, 2013. (Kobi Gideon/GPO/Flash 90)