How much will Obama visit cost Israel?
The accommodation of US President Barack Obama in Israel
this month is expected to cost the state budget some NIS 10-15 million (about
$2.7-4 million).
Additional expenditures – the American delegation's
flights, security expenses and operational expenses – will be funded,
separately, by the US government.
The visit, which begins March 20, is expected to last
three days.
An official visit by such a senior figure entails major
expenses in several fields, led by security. Thousands of police officers will
be tasked with securing Obama's entourage and all the sites he will visit,
including Ben-Gurion Airport, the roads the president's convoy will travel on
and the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, where he will be staying.
Some areas will be turned into sterile zones and will be
supervised by police and army helicopters accompanying the hundreds of
entourage members, foreign journalists and Israeli hosts, in tight cooperation
with the American security forces accompanying the president's entourage.
Another major Israeli expense is for preparing the suites
and rooms for the entourage members at the King David Hotel, funding special
multi-course meals at a cost of hundreds of thousands of shekels, hosting Obama
at the President's Residence, and tours of the country.
The entourage's stay at the hotel is estimated at NIS 2-3
million ($540,000-810,000). Due to the security arrangements, entire floors
will be blocked and will not be available for "regular" guests.
The different expenses also include flower arrangements,
red carpets, some new, in places Obama will visited (like the Knesset and
President's Residence), the entourage's special requests for communication
arrangements, medical equipment if necessary and a fleet of cars for the
entourage members.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministry is looking into options
for Obama's tours of Israel, in addition to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.
The ministry has been asked to suggest different sites and submit the proposals
to Obama's preparation team.
The suggestions include a visit to Masada and an
observation of the Dead Sea; a tour of Christian sites such as Nazareth, Mount
Precipice and the Sea of Galilee area; and Tel Aviv, focusing on Jaffa and the
Neve Tzedek neighborhood.
A tour is also planned to the newly renovated visitor's
center at at Mitzpe Ramon in memory of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon and an observation
of the Ramon Crater, the Hula Lake Park at the height of the bird-watching
season, and the Druze sector.
"It's hard to calculate the exact expenses from the
state budget," said a Treasury official. "For that purpose we must
receive the full and final plans from the relevant ministries and the
President's Residence, as well as from the police and other security
forces."
Obama's visit to Israel will also include short stops in
Jordan and likely in the Palestinian Authority as well.
"There is no doubt that such a visit is worth the
cost, but it's clear that its cost is 10 times higher than a visit of any other
president or head of state," a senior Treasury official told Yedioth
Ahronoth. "In case of a visit by another head of state, the costs may
total several hundreds of thousands of shekels, and in special cases – between
half a million and one million shekels."
Hosting some 80 heads of states and officials of similar
status (like the United Nations secretary-general) cost the Israeli taxpayer
about NIS 60 million ($16 million) in the past four years.
The funding of official visits abroad by Israel's
president, prime minister and ministers totaled some NIS 80 million ($21.5
million).
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