They already get paid more than almost anyone in Israel. No other government does this for all officials. Pres has a car but it's not HIS car. No wonder everybody and their brother wants to be a politician on Israel. Work occasionally. Get perks like the president of the USA.

The country's ecnomic situation is in shambles, the protest movement is not being addressed, the elderely are being neglected, hundreds of families are homeless. absolute disgrace and the Government are spending the tax payers money on cars? abloish this venture!!! and do what has to be done for the citizens instread.

And why couldn't they get some electric vehicles from Better Place?

sometimes i want to puke.

Why not purchase autos from the U.S., if they have to?

Very detailed but doubtful explantion. It is a know fact that cars a very heavy taxed (for instance high purchase tax). In Germany the simplest version of such a car is priced at about 45000 EUR = abour 218000 NSH. If the explanation is true it means that either the germans have given away the cars for free or that the taxes applied in Israel for normal customers are not charged for the cars imported for the Kneset members. It needs an explanation!!

Eli Yishai should ride a donkey as befiting him not a fancy BMW. Has the man no shame what so ever ? People are starving and he rides around in a BMW, Discusting !

Let a civilian try that, and watch the tax authority converge upon him as if he tried to blow up the Knesset.

These vehicles are not gifts that the politicians take away with them when they are no longer ministers they belong to the state and the state has always provided ministers with cars. When buying ministerial cars all the facts like preformance and price are takn into consideration then a choice made and if the government had gone with the Citroen rather than the BMW it wouldn't be treated as a controversial issue. Shelly Y is trying to make political capital on the idea of governments riding around in BMWS what does she expect senior government minsters to take the bus to work each day. If she was a senior minister miss high & mighty Yachimovich would be more than happy to drive around in the state owned BMW she would be entitled to, she would not be saying this car is inappropriate for elected officials. Anybody who has ever owned a car before knows that when chosing which car to buy you decide what your budget is and consider a variaty of factors in different cars and don't just say I wil get the cheapest because it is the cheapest. Same when government buys cars they consider alot of things and then make the choice rather than go with the cheapest because itsthe cheapest.

Bloody MK schnorrers that you are. Driving around in nazi shitboxes, pissing on the memory of our grandparents. Sick disgusting selfish pricks that you are. I can sell and buy you low lives several times over and you wouldnt catch me dead driving a german shitbox. I dont have to show anyone what I have and what I have attained. I drive American...They rescued my Dad from Buchenwald and they help Israel to this very day. You bastards refuse to remember your past, you will re-live it. Grow up you lousy SOB MKs.

You are wrong. The hungarian government does exactly the same.

I know that BMW give high discounts to German politicians. It's free advertisement for a "premium brand" like BMW if high ranking politicians drive around in their cars. Somebody like the Israeli MP has lots of media attention and can often be seen in the prime time news - world wide.

Huge sums of money available for Minister's cars but not for people in need? New born baby centres are being closed, hospitals have reduced staffing and facilities, there are insufficient shelters in the south, subsidies for bread are reduced - - - the list can go on forever - - - but BMW's for ministers we can afford? Shame, shame, shame!

for that price buy one for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One man has just died, burnt himself out of despair because he couldn't find a roof or shelter and these scumbags vote to buy luxury cars ??? Shameless scoundrels. Shelly , you will get my vote in the next election.

Menachem Begin will be turning in his grave with the disgrace at least Mercedes volsvagen and BMW ought to have their names to Canaris White Rose Bonfeimer and Brandt.

Im not against the BMW's! my problem is how they are so proud of themselves for getting it for half price! The State buys the Cars, not the ministers! The State buys these BMW's with collected Tax Money! Of course they're going to pay half! LOL, are they really going to pay tax,with tax money! This is the stupidest thing i've ever heard!

a 50% discount looks like bribery to me. do mk's get 50% in every place they shop? do they get a 50% discount when they eat in restaurants?

If it is because of pollution they should get a car from Better place less pollution plus they help an Israeli company, win win. I do think however they should be buying their own cars.

$51,000 is not an extravagant amount to pay for n MK's vehicle. The real story here is that every day, working class Israelis are forced to pay 50% more for vehicles. The tax payers not only will pay for these new government vehicles but will pay a 50% additional tax for vehicles of their own.

There are two seperate issues herer. Top level managers should be allowed a few perks fo their success, Driving a BMW may be one of them. In our case Ministers should be driving Fiat 500s.

1 : money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust Mariam-Webster I actually ask, since I know that in Israel some English words have opposite means from the definitions of the same word in UK or US usage.