People are making a big deal about this, wasting State money, during a war, etc.

It does not bother me. This is pocket change for the State. Less than pocket change.  This is the change found in the couch cushions.

The issue is that this is what Netanyahu does when he has a problem. He throws other peoples money at it.

Netanyahu is afraid Katz might make coalition trouble for him, so he throws him a bone and lets him travel with his wife on the State dime.

He throws money at Hamas for a decade expecting it will keep them quiet - this time it being Qatar's money.

There is another report that UTJ is upset about their education system. Chinuch Atzmai, being in serious debt due to mismanagement of funds and they have been threatening the coalition over it to get the shortfall covered. Netanyahu has now said the government will cover it (though for now the finance Ministry is opposing this, according to reports). Throw money at it, not his own money, to keep them quiet and happy.

This is how Netanyahu works. He des what is good for him. I would add "not whats good for the State", but he is such a narcissist that he thinks what's good for him is automatically good for the State.