The conflict between the employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the management of the ministry meant that Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s visit to New York last month cost the taxpayers $60,000 – as reported on the website you.
According to the report, the red carpet rolled out at the airport JFK In New York it cost 700 dollars. If it weren’t for the sanctions at the Foreign Ministry, the consulate in New York would have found a red carpet at the airport, and used it for Lapid’s landing.
It was also reported that during the entire visit – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Consulate in New York did not help Lapid in any way, due to the sanctions against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees and the ongoing conflict between the Workers’ Committee and the Prime Minister’s Office. Because of this, Lapid’s visit was produced by a private company – the Amsalem Tours travel agency. The Prime Minister’s Office paid the company about 60 thousand dollars for the production.
The Prime Minister’s Office responded: “On landing in New York, the Prime Minister was greeted by the Ambassador to the United States, the Ambassador of Israel to the United Nations, the Consul General in New York, and the Ambassador of Israel to Canada. Every time a Prime Minister lands, there is a ceremony that includes a red carpet (this was also (in previous years). The reason for the payment to the Amsalem Tours company is the sanctions by the Foreign Ministry personnel. Because of this, the Amsalem Tours company served as a substitute for the activities of the consulate in New York.”