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Israeli Parliament Approves 2026 State Budget, Spokesperson Says
The 699 billion shekel budget includes 32 billion more for defense and a controversial fund transfer to ultra-Orthodox institutions, securing coalition support during wartime.
- 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.
15 Articles
15 Articles
der Standard AT
der Standard DEAccording to polls, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have lost an early ballot
Knesset to vote on 2026 State Budget
Members of the Knesset are set to vote today on the updated 2026 state budget in its second and third readings-almost at the last moment allowed by law. If the budget does not pass, the Knesset will automatically dissolve, triggering elections.
Behind the approval of the state budget tonight (Monday) in the Knesset, there is a well-planned political move that began at the end of last week. Kikar Hashabbat has learned that coalition chairman MK Ofir Katz, together with the heads of the Haredi factions - MK Uri Maklev of United Torah Judaism and MK Yinon Azoulay of Shas - led an exercise that succeeded in neutralizing the opposition's opposition at key stages. The move was launched last …
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