Knesset Approves Nearly $4 Billion Boost to Israel's Defense Budget
The Knesset Finance Committee has approved a significant increase to Israel's defense budget for 2026, allocating nearly 15 billion shekels (approximately $4 billion USD). The decision, made on September 23rd, will see the Ministry of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) receive substantial additional funding.
Of the total sum, 11.75 billion shekels will be transferred from the general reserve fund to the Ministry of Defense. An additional 3 billion shekels will be sourced from various defense and transportation budget lines. The specific details regarding the utilization of these funds remain classified and were presented during a joint session of the Finance Committee and the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
In addition to the defense budget increase, the committee also approved 164 million shekels for national insurance payments to employees placed on unpaid leave during Operation "Lion's Roar." Furthermore, the Ministry of Finance will receive approximately 801 million shekels. This includes 630 million shekels designated for replenishing the Compensation Fund, which is intended to provide payouts to businesses affected by the conflict with Iran.
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