The Prime Minister’s Office has spent approximately NIS 386,000 on medical personnel accompanying Benjamin Netanyahu on 14 overseas trips since 2023, according to figures released following a freedom of information request.
This expenditure, first reported by Ynet News, covers contract fees, lodging, and per diem expenses for physicians and technicians tasked with traveling alongside the Prime Minister.
These costs are much higher than the arrangements made for Netanyahu’s immediate predecessors. During the terms of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, the Prime Minister’s Office paid a total of NIS 21,060 for medical coverage, and no separate contracts were established for doctors to accompany them on foreign travel.
The spending on Netanyahu’s traveling medical team reached its highest point in 2025, with costs totaling NIS 170,335 for that year alone. These figures are separate from the standing annual contract held by Dr. Herman Berkovits, the head of Netanyahu’s medical team, who receives NIS 30,000 annually plus VAT, alongside reimbursement for insurance costs.
The Prime Minister’s Office said that prior to 2023, no special medical team accompanied the Prime Minister on overseas flights beyond the standard Unit 730 detail, which includes a doctor and a paramedic. Since the start of 2023, however, four additional medical professionals have joined the Prime Minister on various international missions.
The medical team includes specialists from major medical centers and the defense establishment. Dr. Eyal Heller, a cardiologist at Sheba Medical Center, accompanied Netanyahu on six trips starting in February 2025, accounting for NIS 149,009 in expenses. IDF physician Dr. Tzvi Sirotkin traveled three times, incurring costs of NIS 110,363, while urologist Prof. Mordechai Duvdevani and pacemaker technician Chen Kabesa also provided coverage for specific trips.
The Prime Minister’s Office said that medical staff are considered part of the official delegation, meaning they do not pay for their own airfare. The office estimated the total flight cost for these medical personnel at approximately NIS 53,000, or $1,200 per doctor for a round trip.
The disclosure of these figures has prompted calls for increased transparency regarding the health and fitness of the Prime Minister. Attorney Hidi Negev, CEO of the Movement for Freedom of Information, argued that the public deserves a clearer picture of the Prime Minister’s medical status, particularly given the lack of a permanent replacement for the position.
“The obligation to report and demonstrate fitness to serve as prime minister must be comprehensive and transparent to the public, especially when no permanent replacement has been appointed,” Negev told Ynet News. “It is time for every candidate for prime minister to publish an independent statement to the public on their physical and cognitive fitness to fulfill the role.”
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, medical coverage for Bennett and Lapid was managed by Prof. Gad Segal, whose contract covered his entire term but resulted in lower overall costs as he did not accompany them on overseas flights.
The team has included a pacemaker technician from Sheba Medical Center, an IDF physician, a cardiologist, and a urologist from Hadassah Medical Center.
Is the Prime Minister’s medical condition publicly known?
The Prime Minister’s Office has not released updated, detailed reports on the Prime Minister’s health, a point of contention for transparency advocates who cite the Prime Minister’s age and the absence of a designated successor.
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