Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday evening that he will move into the Prime Minister's Residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem after the renovation work on the house is completed.
During the press conference on the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Israel, Bennett was asked about the complaints of his neighbors in Ra'anana, who are unhappy about the demonstrations that are taking place on the street and about the security arrangements that disrupt their daily routine.
"Demonstrations are a legitimate thing," Bennett responded. "The house in Balfour needed to be renovated for many, many years, and the renovation was delayed for one reason or another. Based on the instructions of the security services and other parties, the renovation began - and when it is over we will move there."
"I talk to the neighbors, not much because I work a lot, even on Shabbat," the Prime Minister said. "Even last night, I spent the night in the headquarters of the operation to apprehend the terrorists from the terrorist attack in Homesh. This is a very important job and we will continue to do it."
Bennett has hardly used his official residence in Jerusalem thus far, though he did visit the home earlier this month.
Channel 12 Newsrecently reported that the renovation of the home will include two parts: The first is a significant security overhaul requested by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), which claims that the current residence is not prepared for significant emergencies.
The second part is a general renovation of infrastructure, painting the house and replacing old furniture.