If Likud’s Silvan Shalom does decide to join the government, on Tuesday night after the new cabinet is sworn into office, Binyamin Netanyahu will be heading the nation’s largest government ever, 30 ministers and 7 deputy ministers. This beats the 2003 cabinet of Ariel Sharon, which boasted 30 ministers, but in that case, Sharon’s coalition was almost 90 strong as opposed to Netanyahu, who has 69 votes on his side in the 120-seat Knesset.

If Yahadut HaTorah joins, it will receive a deputy ministerial post, health, with the authority of a minister. This will bring the coalition to 74 strong. (Y.H. does not accept ministerial posts, only deputy ministerial posts as a matter of policy due to chilul Shabbos and related issues including the fact a deputy minister does not ‘swear in’ to office).

A minister’s office costs the nation NIS 6 million annually. A deputy minister’s operational costs are less, about NIS 3 million annually. Based on 30 ministers and 7 deputy ministers, this would bring the annual cost to about NIS 210 million, which would bring the four-year cost of the current administration to NIS 840 million.

Some of the costs involved in the calculation as follows:
**Monthly salary of a minister is almost NIS 45,000
**A minister may employ a staff of 8 averaging about NIS 15,000 (each)
**Add two drivers and a vehicle

If the ministerial post is new, there are additional costs including the purchase of furniture and the preparation of a ministerial office.

Regarding security costs, the Shin Bet only provides protection for the prime minister, defense minister and foreign minister. The other ministers are protected by agents provided by a private firm in concert with the ministerial security officer, amounting to about NIS 3.3 million per minister annually. Each minister has a staff of at least 12 security agents, 7 bodyguards with two vehicles and 5 agents responsible for the 24-hour watch at a minister’s home.

There is also a director of the security services for each minister, and an assistant, who maintain the ongoing flow of information to and from the Shin Bet.

There is also an advanced closed circuit security system installed in the home of each minister. In many cases, the state will rent apartments for security agents near a minister’s home for logistical reasons.

Since the assassination of Tourism Minister Rechavam Ze’evi, a minister no longer has the option of accepting or refusing protection. A minister cannot instruct his security agents not to accompany him [as Ze’evi did] to a particular function.

The daily Yediot Achronot adds that for NIS 9 million annually, (NIS 6 million per ministry plus NIS 3 million security) much can be done in many areas.
750,000 hot meals in soup kitchens
2,250 computers for students
16 new classrooms
1,500 ceramic flak jackets for soldiers
Processing 50,000 bone marrow samples
23,000 basic food assistance packages for Pessach.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)