Journalist Shirrit Avitan Cohen Defends Budget Transfers Amid Election Criticism on News 12

During a News 12 discussion, journalist Shirrit Avitan Cohen argued that budget transfers approved close to elections are a common practice, including under the previous Change government. The debate arose after Knesset member Orit Farkash-Hacohen criticized recent budget transfers approved by the Finance Committee as "election bribery." Avitan Cohen responded that similar transfers totaling 2.75 billion shekels were authorized just one week before elections under the former government, with approval from then-Knesset Speaker Miki Levy. She described these transfers as routine reallocations of surplus funds between ministries rather than an unusual event.

Avitan Cohen accused Farkash-Hacohen of misleading the public by portraying the current transfers as unprecedented. News 12 anchor Adi Zarifi intervened, noting that while the previous funds were not directed to ultra-Orthodox parties, they were still coalition funds benefiting other sectors, such as voters of Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beiteinu. Avitan Cohen acknowledged this but emphasized that education funding was involved in both cases, including for the ultra-Orthodox sector. Zarifi suggested the core issue is public concern over government spending rather than the practice itself, a point Avitan Cohen agreed with, criticizing Farkash-Hacohen for cynically exploiting societal divisions.

After the broadcast, Farkash-Hacohen rejected the comparison on X (formerly Twitter), arguing that Israel was not at war during the previous transfers, the coalition funds were significantly smaller, and those transfers followed a state budget approval rather than occurring months after. She stressed that the current situation involves a heavy deficit and war expenses, making the cases incomparable.