Israel spent around $470,000 (approx. Rs 4.49 crore) on hair styling, makeup and official representation expenses for its prime ministers between January 2019 and August 2026, according to data released by the country’s Prime Minister’s Office.
Around 90% of the hair and makeup expenses were linked to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu, who were in office for most of the period covered by the data.
מידע שקיבלנו: הוצאות האיפור והשיער של ראשי הממשלה בישראל משנת 2019.
???? הן הסתכמו ב-1.43 מיליון שקל – 90% מהן היו של בני הזוג נתניהו.
???? הוצאות סידור השיער לנתניהו בתחילת המלחמה, באוקטובר 2023, היו 2,457 שקל.
???? ההוצאה הגבוהה ביותר: 13.5 אלף דולר בביקור של 4 ימים בארצות הברית.… pic.twitter.com/SIi8X8qgMw— התנועה לחופש המידע (@shakoof) September 10, 2026
The information was released after attorney Yaara Winkler-Shalit filed a Freedom of Information petition in December 2025 on behalf of the Movement for Freedom of Information.
The data showed that spending on hair and makeup increased significantly from year to year.
In 2022, when Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid served as prime ministers, the expenses were around 84,000 shekels (Rs 26.34 lakh). The amount increased to around 311,000 shekels (Rs 97.52 lakh) in 2023 after Benjamin Netanyahu returned as prime minister. The total spending that year was around $103,000 (Rs 98.38 lakh).
The highest annual spending was recorded in 2025, when the government spent around $111,000 (Rs 1.06 crore).
The records also showed expenses around the start of the war in October 2023. Between September and November that year, around $2,600 (Rs 2.48 lakh) was spent on Netanyahu’s hair styling and about $1,580 (Rs 1.51 lakh) on makeup. In October 2023 alone, the government spent 2,457 shekels (Rs 77,076) on hair styling for Netanyahu.
Foreign trips also added to the expenses. The highest single bill was recorded during a four-day visit to Washington DC, in February 2025, when around $13,500 (Rs 12.9 lakh) was spent on hair and makeup, according to Roya News.
A visit to Washington in July 2024 also resulted in around $11,500 (Rs 10.99 lakh) in hair and makeup expenses.
The records separately listed official representation expenses, which included clothing and hosting costs linked to official duties. Netanyahu’s representation expenses stood at around $134,000 (Rs 1.28 crore). The figure was around $19,000 (Rs 18.15 lakh) for Bennett and $2,600 (Rs 2.48 lakh) for Lapid.
Some details were removed from the documents released by the authorities. The names of the prime minister’s hairstylists and makeup artists were redacted, with officials citing state security reasons.
Hiddai Negev, CEO of the Movement for Freedom of Information, criticised the Prime Minister’s Office over the matter. He said the office repeatedly fails to provide information about public spending until it is forced to do so through court petitions.
Negev said public figures must understand that public money cannot be treated as personal money and must be used with accountability.
