Israel Approves Budget Cuts Across Ministries for Defense Needs
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
The Israeli government has approved a 4.9% budget cut across all ministries, amounting to 2.6 billion shekels, to address an overspending in the defense budget. The funds are intended for urgent defense procurement for 2026. Major cuts will affect the Ministries of Transportation, Social Affairs, Health, Education, and Construction and Housing. Critics argue that these reductions harm essential social services and disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, advocating instead for cuts to coalition budgets and an increase in social welfare funding.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- The Israeli government approved a 2.6 billion shekel budget cut across ministries for defense needs.
- The cuts amount to 4.9% of the budgets for all government ministries in 2026.
- The Ministry of Transportation will lose approximately 423 million shekels.
- The decision aims to cover an overspending in the defense budget for urgent procurement.
- Social workers' union chairwoman criticized the cuts, calling them destructive to social services.
- The union demanded a 20% increase in the social welfare budget instead.
The Israeli government approved a sweeping 4.9% budget cut across all ministries on Sunday, totaling 2.6 billion shekels, to cover an overspending in the defense budget. This decision follows the reallocation of approximately 1 billion shekels from a five-year plan for the Arab society, which was not utilized, towards the purchase of helicopters. The Ministry of Transportation will see a reduction of about 423 million shekels, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services 137 million, the Ministry of Health 109 million, the Ministry of Education 107 million, and the Ministry of Construction and Housing 83 million shekels. The decision allows the Treasury's budget department and the affected ministries to negotiate specific reductions within their respective budgets. The government stated the cuts are necessary to comply with the deficit reduction and government spending limitation law. It was also noted that during an election period, the government is restricted from making non-essential decisions, and this move was made to minimize impact on the next government's decision-making capabilities. As the defense procurement is urgent and designated for 2026 only, most budgetary impacts will also apply to that year.
Inbal Hermoni, Chairwoman of the National Union of Social Workers, criticized the cuts, stating that "the Israeli government continues its destructive path for social services." She argued that national security encompasses social welfare, health, rehabilitation, and education, not just missiles and interceptors. Hermoni highlighted that these cuts disproportionately affect at-risk children, victims of violence, individuals with disabilities, and families in distress. She suggested that coalition budgets should be trimmed instead and pointed out that the social welfare budget has already faced nearly half a billion shekels in cuts over the past year, despite increasing social needs and overburdened social workers. Hermoni demanded a 20% increase in the social welfare budget to ensure functional social services and adequate public response, emphasizing that a nation cannot rely solely on its military while civilian services collapse.
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