Knesset to vote on NIS 30 billion increase in defense budget, making cuts to other ministries
Israel’s 2025 budget vote will boost defense by NIS 30b, with haredi MKs set to abstain, leaving the tied coalition hoping the measure will still pass.
The Knesset passed the first reading to increase the 2025 state budget by over NIS 30 billion toward the country’s defense budget during a plenum vote on Wednesday.
The vote passed with 42 in favor and 37 against, following fierce clashes between coalition and opposition members on the matter.
The proposal will now be discussed in Knesset committee meetings before proceeding to the second and final reading at the plenum for approval.
If passed, an additional NIS 30.8 billion will be allocated to the Defense Ministry, National Insurance Institute, various security-related expenses, and for payment of interest and fees.
The vote comes after the government approved the Finance Ministry’s proposal to increase the defense budget in August.
United Torah Judaism (UTJ) chairman rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf is seen at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, July 28, 2022 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
To raise the budget toward defense, funds will be allocated from the various other ministries, leading to an across-the-board cut, the proposal said. The proposal would also reportedly cause NIS 1.6 billion of the increased budget to go toward humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The proposal stated that an increase of the defense budget by NIS 28.8 billion is due to the Gideon’s Chariots Gaza offensive operation in Gaza, along with Israel’s Rising Lion operation in Iran.
‘The coalition’s failure to uphold its commitments’
Ahead of the plenum vote, the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) faction Hadegel HaTorah announced that its MKs would refrain from voting on the defense budget increase due “to the coalition’s failure to uphold its commitments.”
The coalition and opposition currently both have a tied 60 seats after the haredi party United Torah Judaism (UTJ) left the coalition in July following the controversy surrounding negotiations with the haredi conscription law proposal. UTJ is made up of the Hadagel Hatorah faction, along with the Agudat Yisrael faction.
The vote was able to pass amid this tie between the coalition and opposition because MKs from Hadegel HaTorah were not instructed to oppose the vote, only to abstain from it.
Spiritual advisor for the Degel Hatorah, Rabbi Dov Landau, also instructed MKs within the faction to “abstain demonstratively” in the budget vote.
“The amendment being brought today is solely for the needs of the defense establishment and does not include any cuts to civilian budget items,” the Hadegel HaTorah statement said.
It was also unclear what coalition member National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s vote would be on the proposal, as Ben-Gvir had initially expressed objection to it.
Ben-Gvir’s party ended up supporting the proposal after it was promised that NIS 160 million would be transferred to his National Security Ministry, KAN News reported.
