Government records have revealed that nearly 90% of the Israeli prime minister’s official spending on hair styling and makeup between 2019 and August 2026 was linked to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara.
According to information released under Israel’s Right to Information law, around $470,000 (approximately ₹4 crore) was spent on hair styling and makeup during the period. The records were released after lawyer Yara Winkler-Shalit sought details of the expenditure from the Prime Minister’s Office in December 2025.
The documents provide a year-wise and month-wise breakdown of the expenses, although the names of Netanyahu’s personal hairstylist and makeup artist were removed from several records. The Prime Minister’s Office cited state security as the reason for withholding their identities.
$103,000 spent on hair and makeup in 2023
The records also cover expenses incurred around the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
Between September and November 2023, around $2,600 (₹22 lakh) was spent on hair styling, while approximately $1,580 (₹13 lakh) was spent on makeup.
In October 2023 alone, hair-styling expenses were around $810 (₹68,000). The total spending on hair styling and makeup for the full year stood at approximately $103,000 (₹86 lakh).
By comparison, around $27,600 (₹23 lakh) was spent on similar expenses during the terms of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid in 2022.
Highest spending recorded in 2025
The highest annual expenditure on Netanyahu’s hair styling and makeup was recorded in 2025. Around $111,000 (₹93 lakh) was spent during the year.
Foreign trips also accounted for significant expenses. During Netanyahu’s visit to Washington in February 2025, approximately $13,500 (₹11 lakh) was spent on hair and makeup services.
A similar expenditure was recorded during his Washington visit in July 2024, when around $11,500 (₹9.6 lakh) was spent on the services.
Separate spending on clothing and official representation
The records also show separate expenditure associated with Netanyahu under the category of official representation, which includes items such as clothing and expenses related to hosting guests.
Around $134,000 (₹1.12 crore) was spent under this category for Netanyahu. In comparison, the expenditure was approximately $19,000 (₹16 lakh) during Naftali Bennett’s term and $2,600 (₹2.2 lakh) during Yair Lapid’s tenure.
However, the government has not released complete details of spending on jewellery, clothing and image consulting, despite requests for the information from a freedom-of-information organisation.
Stylists’ identities withheld on security grounds
The disclosure has drawn attention to the scale of public spending on personal styling, particularly because annual hair and makeup expenses exceeded $100,000 in 2025.
However, some information remains undisclosed. The names of Netanyahu’s personal hairstylist and makeup artist were redacted from the documents, with the Prime Minister’s Office citing state security.
Details of expenditure on certain categories, including jewellery, clothing and image consulting, were also not made public.
Key figures from the records
2019-August 2026: Around $470,000 spent on hair styling and makeup
Netanyahu and Sara: About 90% of the total hair and makeup expenditure
2023: Around $103,000
2022: Around $27,600
2025: Around $111,000, the highest annual spending
February 2025 Washington visit: Around $13,500
July 2024 Washington visit: Around $11,500
September-November 2023: Around $2,600 on hair and $1,580 on makeup
October 2023: Around $810 on hair styling
Netanyahu’s official representation expenses: Around $134,000