Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu earns a net salary of 15,027 shekels per month, or $4,221. His annual net income is therefore under $51,000 - among the lowest salaries in the world for a national leader. Netanyahu decided to make his paycheck available to the public on the Prime Minister's Office Facebook page.
According to a chart published recently in The Economist, only the leaders of Poland, China and India make less then Netanyahu.
The salary is calculated according to 42.5 work hours per week, and the PM receives no pay for extra hours.
The news quickly made the rounds on Israel's websites and on Facebook. "No wonder his wife is always pouting," quipped one commenter on the social networking application.
Netanyahu pays 45% income tax, because his pre-tax earnings place him in Israel's highest tax bracket. Financial website 'Globes' noted that Netanyahu's car, an Audi A8, is the most expensive vehicle on Israel's roads, worth an estimated $750-850K. The specially customized vehicle includes bulletproof tires, a device that blows out the car's doors even if they have caved in because of an explosion outside the vehicle, independent oxygen supply, an automatic fire extinguishing system and more.
Netanyahu pays for subscriptions to four newspapers and their total cost - NIS 168, or $47 - is deducted from his pay every month.
Detail of Netanyahu's paycheck / PMO Facebook page