Netanyahu Seeks Budget Revision for Defense; Lapid Demands Cuts to Coalition Funds
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid on Monday for a security briefing, during which Netanyahu requested to reopen the state budget to allocate additional funds to the defense establishment. Lapid expressed support for bolstering the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) but stipulated that the funding should not come at the expense of the middle class or reservists.
Lapid proposed an alternative funding source: canceling "corrupt coalition funds" and the billions of shekels currently allocated to support what he termed "haredi draft evasion." He stated that if these measures were included in the proposal, his party would support it in the Knesset.
Netanyahu's request comes amid ongoing security concerns, prompting a need for increased defense spending. The specific amount of additional funding sought was not detailed in the report.
The exchange highlights a political standoff, with Lapid leveraging the budget revision request to push for his party's agenda regarding coalition spending and ultra-Orthodox conscription policies.
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