Protesters Storm Israeli Finance Committee Meeting Over Coalition Budget Allocations

A chaotic incident unfolded during a Finance Committee meeting in the Israeli Knesset on Tuesday, as protesters from the "Standing Together" movement forcibly entered the chamber to oppose the allocation of coalition funds. The committee was convened to discuss and vote on changes to the 2026 state budget, including the transfer of coalition monies. The demonstrators loudly accused committee members of misusing public funds, shouting that the money was being diverted to settler farms and violent settler activities, and demanded attention to social welfare and rehabilitation needs instead.

As Knesset ushers attempted to remove the protesters, tensions escalated with mutual shouting between the demonstrators and committee members. Finance Committee Chair Hanoch Milwitsky sharply condemned the protesters, defending the settlers and accusing the activists of being "worse than the terrorists" and "worse than the Nukhba" (a term referring to elite Palestinian militants). Milwitsky repeatedly expressed disgust, calling the protesters "disgusting" and "shameful," and criticized their disruption as more severe than terrorism.

The confrontation highlighted deep divisions over budget priorities and the ongoing conflict surrounding settler policies and Palestinian relations. The meeting was disrupted and the planned budget discussions were overshadowed by the protest and heated exchanges. The Finance Committee is expected to resume deliberations following security and procedural reviews prompted by the incident.