Send-off party for IDF chief said to cost NIS 600,000
Farewell bash for former chief of staff Benny Gantz included banquet for close to 1,000 guests
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
The farewell party thrown by the Israel Defense Forces six months ago for its outgoing chief of staff Benny Gantz cost over NIS 600,000 ($158,000), Channel 2 reported on Thursday.
The money was spent on feeding close to 1,000 guests and hiring a production company to make a commemorative film, Channel 2 added.
Gantz, who retired from service in the Israel Defense Forces after 38 years in February, was the guest of honor at the bash held at the Tel Aviv Drive-In Arena, a 6,600-square-meter (71,000 square-foot) venue.
According to the report, the event, which was attended by President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, senior IDF officers, bankers, politicians, and other VIPs, cost well over half-a-million shekels.
An itemized list of the primary expenses showed that renting the hall cost NIS 111,135 ($29,250), with an additional NIS 53,535 ($13,920) for “logistic equipment.”
Feeding the guests cost NIS 64,000 ($16,000). The sound and light system costs stood at NIS 79,862 ($21,000).
However, the biggest expense was for a commemorative film produced by a contracted film company rather than by the IDF’s own well-equipped media department. Production costs were NIS 215,000 ($56,000), with a further NIS 61,000 ($16,000) paid to hire a large screen for the showing.
By comparison, a series of farewell parties at stations across the country on behalf of outgoing police chief Yohanan Danino earlier this year — and which prompted State Comptroller Joseph Shapiro to launch a preliminary investigation — cost an estimated NIS 400,000 ($105,000). Danino retired at the end of June.
The IDF said in response that “in recent months, a thorough review was carried out, after which staff were issued strict new guidelines that limit holding military events.
“Within the directives were limitations to the holding of events, and budgets have been reduced substantially,” the statement continued. “The appearance of civilian artists was also significantly restricted and the employment of external companies has been reduced considerably with the intent to rely on military resources. In the last few months, the manpower department enforced strict compliance with these orders.”
Time of Israel Staff contributed to this report.
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