first Knesset elections will cost between 2 billion and 2.5 billion shekels, the Hebrew daily Yisrael Haum reported Monday evening.

These costs will be direct, including the funding and the budget of the Central Election Commission, the polling stations, the printing of ballot papers, the day of the operational elections, and all the additional expenses related to the campaign, which is estimated at 500 million shekels at least.

He pointed out that the election day will be a holiday, so the economy will lose at least another 1.5 billion shekels, the cost of daily work.

In addition to these expenses, each Knesset member is entitled to NIS 1.37 million, or NIS 164.4 million, for 120 members, and another NIS 100,000 to keep each member in touch with his or her constituents.

Each new party is entitled to a loan of 6.7 million shekels guaranteed by the state, and will be a gift if it succeeds in the next elections.

Assuming that five new parties (Orly Levy, Benny Gantz, Moshe Ya´alon and Adina Bar Shalom) will participate in the elections, it would be an additional cost of NIS 33.5 million.