Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will soon have to decide whether to give up the official plane of the Prime Minister and President, which was ordered by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid supports the sale of the plane and has previously announced that one of the first decisions he will make if he forms a government will be to give up the plane that is supposed to serve him and the President.
MK Yair Golan of the Meretz faction called on Bennett to give up the plane despite all the money that has been invested in it to date.
"This unnecessary plane is a symbol of the megalomania, the wastefulness and alienation between the previous Prime Minister and the citizens of Israel. Israel is currently on the path of integrity, modesty and fairness. There is no room for this unnecessary plane," said Golan.
To date, about a billion shekels have been invested in preparing the plane. Advanced protection systems and communication systems that will allow it to continue managing state affairs from the sky have been installed in the plane.
President-elect Isaac Herzog will have an impact on the decision whether to give up the plane, after outgoing President Reuven Rivlin announced in advance that he would not fly with the official plane and would continue his custom of traveling on regular commercial flights.
In October 2019, Lapid announced, "When we are in government, we will sell it and transfer the money to where it really is needed. I told Netanyahu, 'You do not need this plane. Not when the state is unable to finance emergency rooms.' It did not help. Bibi just does not care."