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Israeli parliament passes budget, allowing Netanyahu to avoid early elections
The budget includes a record $45.8 billion for defense amid war with Iran, funded by cuts to other ministries and concessions to ultra-Orthodox parties, securing government stability.
- The Knesset approved the 699 billion shekel 2026 state budget late Sunday, averting early elections and preventing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government collapse. The spending plan, Israel's largest, passed with 62 votes in favor and 55 against.
- Facing high costs from the ongoing war against Iran and Hezbollah, the government raised the Defense Ministry budget by over 30 billion shekels to NIS 142 billion. The war's economic toll stands at about $1.6 billion weekly.
- Coalition lawmakers introduced last-minute budget reservations to fund yeshivas, catching the opposition off guard. Opposition leader Yair Lapid denounced the maneuver as 'unprecedented,' while coalition members mocked opponents for failing to review the proposal before voting.
- Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the budget lowers living costs through expanded income tax brackets and tax credits for combat reservists worth up to NIS 12,000 yearly. The plan also increases healthcare and education funding while advancing banking sector reforms.
- Former prime minister Naftali Bennett slammed the budget as 'reckless,' warning that cuts target children's education and rehabilitation budgets for the Negev. The approval prevents a snap election that opinion polls suggested Netanyahu would lose, stabilizing his government.
59 Articles
59 Articles
Israel passes 2026 budget, avoiding early election
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition narrowly beat a deadline that would have led to an early election, passing the 2026 state budget early Monday morning, a day before the March 31 deadline. The budget passed after the coalition granted NIS 800 million ($255 million) in benefits to Haredi institutions, and promised Shas and United Torah Judaism that the government would pass a law that, in effect, would continue yeshi…
Observador
Correio da ManhãThe Minister of Smotrich's Finance promised to "dismantrate and rebuild the Middle East". Health and Education remain very attached to the fate for the military.
Israel's national budget passes, triggering protests as finance ministry leader resigns
Finance Ministry Director General Ilan Rom announced his resignation on March 30, hours after Israel's parliament approved the 2025-2026 state budget following an overnight session, with protests erupting outside the Israeli parliament.
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