Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett vowed Wednesday morning that he will cover food expenses at his private residence using his own funds, after an investigative report into the Bennett family’s expenditures raised a public outcry.
Earlier this week, Channel 13 revealed that the Prime Minister’s Office has paid tens of thousands of shekels to cover food delivery charges for the Bennett family, who remain at the family’s Ra’anana residence. The monthly expense, according to the report, averaged 24,700 shekels for food for the Bennett home.
The Bennett home is currently being renovated and augmented by the Prime Minister’s Office to serve as the official residence of the prime minister.
Following criticism over his family’s expenses at the Ra’anana residence, Bennett announced Wednesday that he would ‘heed criticism’ of his family’s spending on the PMO’s account, and that in the future, food deliveries would be paid for from his private account.
“I always believed that there is no dishonor in heeding criticism. Quite the opposite, it is a positive quality. Despite the fact that this was all in keeping with regulations, I am cognizant of the feelings among the public that this has created.”
“Therefore, I have notified officials at my office that all food expenses for my family will be sent to my private account. I am not in office for the money or honor, but to serve the citizens of Israel with all my strength, and I will continue to do so.”
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister also came under fire after it was revealed in court that no building permits had been issued for the renovation and upgrade of Bennett’s Ra’anana residence.
Dozens of neighbors have petitioned the courts to halt the work to upgrade Bennett’s home into the official prime minister’s residence.