Israeli Finance Committee to Approve Major Budget Transfers

Israel's Finance Committee is scheduled to convene during the upcoming election recess on Wednesday to discuss significant budget transfers. The committee is expected to approve approximately 124 million shekels for coalition funds and other budgetary needs, alongside a substantial 14.75 billion shekels allocated to the defense system. Despite some opposition regarding the necessity of certain coalition funds and ministerial budgets, the opposition has agreed to the committee's meeting and the approval of these transfers.

Among the specific allocations are 72 million shekels for the National Security Ministry, the Community Security Directorate, and the firefighting squadron. Additionally, 6 million shekels from the reserve fund will be transferred to the Welfare Ministry for at-risk youth, including a program for disconnected ultra-Orthodox youth. Another 46 million shekels are designated for infrastructure at Mount Meron and for the financing of the annual Meron pilgrimage, managed under the Prime Minister's Office budget, which includes the Ministry of Jerusalem and Tradition.

Further allocations include 40 million shekels to the Housing Ministry from the Israel Prison Service budget for reinforcing older multi-story buildings in northern Israel within a 9-kilometer range of the border. The committee will also consider a 164 million shekel transfer to the National Insurance Institute for benefits, including return grants for evacuees. Another 30.6 million shekels, plus 22 million shekels in commitment authorizations and funding for five personnel positions, are earmarked for mapping and registration in Area C and East Jerusalem.

Additional financial requests recently submitted to the Treasury include an 800 million shekel transfer, with 630 million shekels for balancing the compensation fund, and 38.6 million shekels for the Civil Administration. Concurrently with the Finance Committee's approval of the defense budget supplement, a joint committee of the Finance and Foreign Affairs and Defense committees, chaired by MK Boaz Bismut, will convene to review the classified details of the approximately 14.8 billion shekels allocated to defense.

MK Orit Farkash Hacohen commented on the meeting, welcoming the government's decision to schedule the discussion after the opposition had raised concerns about delays. She noted that important budget requests for youth movements, which have suffered significant cuts during the war years, would not be addressed in the upcoming meeting, criticizing the government for not prioritizing them.