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Israeli Government Approves 30 Billion-Shekel Defense Increase Funded by Ministry Cuts

Leaders had vowed to fast-track a wartime budget, pausing disputed reforms.

Overview

  • The cabinet approved roughly 30 billion shekels in additional defense funding financed by a 3% across-the-board cut to government ministries.
  • Education, Health and Welfare budgets face reductions totaling about 422 million shekels, and Transportation will lose roughly 600 million shekels including future infrastructure projects.
  • An additional uniform cut was approved to expand the National Security Ministry budget led by Itamar Ben Gvir.
  • The decision follows a joint pledge by Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich to rush through a wartime budget that redirects tens of billions of shekels to the war effort and cancels planned public benefits.
  • Officials said the Draft Law and other contested reforms will not move forward during the war, and ministers Ze’ev Elkin and Gideon Sa’ar voted against the cuts package.