Treasury Slams IDF's 'Wasteful Management' Amid Budget Dispute

Senior officials in Israel's Ministry of Finance have sharply rejected claims by the defense establishment that the Treasury is delaying budgets, instead accusing the military of "wasteful management" and operating outside legal budgetary frameworks. The officials stated that the defense budget has nearly tripled in two years, with the Treasury providing substantial funds beyond the allocated amounts, yet the defense system "refuses to become more efficient."

According to the Finance Ministry, the defense establishment operates in a manner contrary to the law, ignoring its approved budget and acting autonomously, forcing the Treasury to cover the deficits. They criticized the military for preferring to "demand money from the taxpayer's pocket" and for operating with a lack of transparency, unlike any other budget in the country.

The Treasury officials also expressed disappointment, calling it "ingratitude" that the defense system would accuse them of delays, given that the ministry has funded military operations across all fronts with hundreds of billions of shekels.

They warned that the defense leadership's unwillingness to seriously address budget figures is "most worrying" and that this conduct "harms the state's economy without providing security commensurate with the state's investment."