Netanyahu Seeks Budget Revision for Defense; Lapid Demands Cuts to Haredi Funding
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with opposition leader Yair Lapid on Monday to discuss the upcoming 2026 state budget. During a security update meeting, Netanyahu requested that the budget law be reopened to allocate additional funds to the defense establishment. The head of the National Security Council was also present.
Lapid expressed support for strengthening the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) but stated that the funding should not come at the expense of middle-class taxpayers and reservists, a direction he accused Netanyahu of pursuing. Lapid proposed that the budget increase should be achieved by cutting coalition funds allocated to Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) institutions.
Furthermore, Lapid called for the cancellation of planned tax increases. In exchange for these concessions, Lapid indicated that his party would support the budget proposal in the Knesset (parliament). The meeting occurred as the government prepares to approve the 2026 state budget.
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