As thousands of Israelis take to the streets expressing frustration at their inability to “finish the month,” marching in cities around the country over the difficulty of affording even a basic lifestyle, Defense Minister and Labor Party chief Ehud Barak has decided he needs to upgrade his government-supplied mode of transportation.
Instead of his current Audi A6 personal vehicle, Barak has decided that he needs an Audi A8 – at a cost of between NIS 1.5 million and NIS 2 million to the taxpayer.
A report in the Hebrew-language daily Ma'ariv this morning (Thursday Aug. 25) said that members of Barak's staff recently contacted the Treasury's Government Vehicle Authority, investigating the funding possibilities for the upgraded vehicle. The report said that Treasury officials turned down the initial request, but that talks were continuing. In a statement, the Treasury said that no official request for an upgrade had been made.
Barak's current vehicle, the Audi A6, is one of two vehicles usually provided to government ministers and High Court judges. The A8 is usually reserved for current and former Prime Ministers. The report said that Barak staff members approached the Treasury with the request based on the fact that Barak is a former Prime Minister, and legally is entitled to the upgraded vehicle.
The Audi A6 that Barak currently drives has an estimated value of NIS 400,000, including security improvements to the vehicle required for protection of government ministers.
In a statement, Barak's office said that “the Defense Minister did not ask to exchange his vehicle. The decision on which vehicles are given to which ministers is in the hands of the Defense Ministry's vehicle division, in coordination with the [Israel Security Agency] Shin Bet. The Defense Minister does not deal with these issues personally,” the report said.
As Barak's staff made the inquiry, the committee headed by Manuel Trachtenberg began meeting this week, examining ways to cut the cost of living for Israelis. Trachtenberg has made it clear that he does not support price controls or other gross governmental intervention, and tax cuts are being considered as one way to reduce costs.
Several activists commenting on the story slammed Barak, calling the request "insensitive, if not hoggish, especially now when the government is going to have to figure out how to pay for the benefits the middle class is demanding. Barak is known for his love of fancy cars, but it's a bit unseemly to drive around in a NIS 2 million car when people are living in tents becasue they can't afford rent. Isn't Labor supposed to be a party with a socialist orientation?"