Official data released following legal proceedings has revealed the scale of public spending on makeup, hairdressing, and representation fees for Israeli Prime Ministers. According to the reports, from the beginning of 2019 through August 2026, the state spent a cumulative sum of approximately 1. 43 million NIS on these services. The information was disclosed following a petition filed in court in December 2025 by the Freedom of Information Movement, represented by Adv.
Yaara Winkler Shalit, after previous inquiries to the Prime Minister’s Office were not sufficiently addressed. Data indicates that Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are responsible for about 90% of total makeup and hair styling expenses. The Prime Minister’s Office clarified that the tables pertained to the Netanyahu couple, noting that some details in the documents, including the identity of service providers, were redacted for state security reasons.
The provided breakdown includes significant costs for overseas travel; for instance, a February 2025 visit to Washington incurred a cost of approximately 13. 5 thousand USD for a personal makeup artist and hairstylist. In addition to makeup and hair costs, the documents detailed 'representation fees' intended for clothing and official hosting. According to the data, during the period in question, Netanyahu’s representation fees totaled approximately 408,000 NIS, while significantly lower amounts were recorded during the tenures of Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett.
The documents further show that in 2023 alone, expenses totaled about 312,000 NIS, compared to about 84,000 NIS in 2022. The year 2025 recorded the highest annual expenditure in the period, amounting to approximately 337,000 NIS. The CEO of the Freedom of Information Movement, Adv. Heidi Negev, criticized the Prime Minister’s Office’s conduct regarding the information disclosure. According to him, there is a pattern of avoiding responses to legal requests, forcing the organization to turn to legal channels to obtain information on the use of public funds.
Adv. Negev emphasized that this is a matter of reporting obligations and public oversight required by law. It should be noted that the Prime Minister’s Office did not provide data regarding jewelry costs or personal consulting, despite being requested by the Movement. The full information received provides a rare glimpse into the budgetary scope allocated for the external appearance of elected officials, a subject under the scrutiny of civil society in Israel.