Gantz motorcade to cost taxpayers NIS 23 m. annually

While the sources said Gantz tried to minimize his travel costs, sources in the Likud said the coalition agreement guaranteed Gantz the same treatment as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

By GIL HOFFMAN
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz at the swearing in of the Knesset (photo credit: ALEX KOLOMOISKY / POOL)
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz at the swearing in of the Knesset
(photo credit: ALEX KOLOMOISKY / POOL)
Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz will travel in a motorcade, at a cost of NIS 23 million a year in expensive, secure Audi 8 luxury cars, sources in Blue and White confirmed on Wednesday night.
While the sources said Gantz tried to minimize his travel costs, sources in the Likud said the coalition agreement guaranteed Gantz the same treatment as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at Gantz's request.   
In a speech in the Knesset plenum, Opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Gantz to refuse such conditions.
Lapid mocked the government in his speech, noting more and more ministers have started complaining about their colleagues in the government.
“Since the government was formed, an interesting genre has developed of people who sit in the government but are very, very sad about its behavior,” Lapid said. “They are very depressed.”
Lapid noted complaints about the government by Economy Minister Amir Peretz (Labor) and Labor and Social Services Minister Itzik Shmuli (Labor). They day before he mocked the complaints of Science and Technology Minister Izhar Shay (Blue and White).
“I prefer the Likudniks, because with them, what you see is what you get,” Lapid said, speaking in English.
  Lapid received his first regular security briefing from Netanyahu on Wednesday. The opposition leader is entitled by law to receive a security briefing from the prime minister once a month. Netanyahu’s military attaché, Col. Avi Blut, took part in the briefing, which lasted about an hour.  
Knesset Law, Constitution and Justice Committee head Yakov Asher (United Torah Judaism) told the committee on Wednesday that the committee would pass its final readings by Monday, which would allow 11 to 15 MKs to enter the Knesset next week. Marathon meetings were held on the bill in the committee on Wednesday.
Asked why he opposed the bill even though it would add more religious Zionist MKs to the Knesset, Yamina leader Naftali Bennett said the coalition was already “exaggerating” by creating more ministries and adding more MKs would add insult to injury.
“I am in the opposition, and we will fight,” Bennett said. “The government is supposed to serve the public. What they are doing is awful.”