Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the government’s approval of the 2025 state budget, emphasizing its primary focus on bolstering national security amid heightened regional tensions. This budget, crafted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, allocates substantial funding toward defense in response to Israel’s current geopolitical challenges. The government hopes that increased security measures will ensure stability, given recent conflicts and threats from neighboring regions.
However, the focus on defense spending has required cutbacks in other areas, notably social services and education. This shift has drawn criticism from opposition leaders, who argue that essential domestic services should not be compromised. Opponents, including National Unity party leader Benny Gantz, voiced strong objections, calling the budget allocation a betrayal of Israeli citizens in need of support in these sectors. Gantz suggested that anyone backing these cuts should “feel shame” due to the impact on Holocaust survivors and bereaved families, initially slated for subsidy freezes before government reversal amid public backlash
Despite criticism, Netanyahu has defended the budget as a critical measure to safeguard national security, framing it as a necessary response to ongoing military threats. With these allocations, Netanyahu aims to demonstrate his government’s commitment to defense and security above all else, even as debate continues over the reallocation of resources within Israeli society.
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