Netanyahu seeks to increase Israel’s defense budget, Lapid sets a condition
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked for the state budget to be revised in order to allocate additional funds to the needs of the defense establishment. During a security meeting with opposition leader Yair Lapid, he raised the issue of additional funding for the Israel Defense Forces, the Jerusalem Post reports, citing Lapid’s office.
The opposition’s condition
Lapid said that he generally supports increased defense spending, as the Israel Defense Forces need strengthening. At the same time, he said he would not support the proposal if its funding involves raising taxes.
The opposition leader insists that the source of the funds should be the cancellation of coalition funding, which, he said, is directed toward supporting ultra-Orthodox Jews’ evasion of military conscription. He said his party would support the proposal in the Knesset if such changes were included.
Positions of Likud and Lapid
The ruling Likud party rejected Lapid’s claims and said that the defense budget could be increased without raising taxes. The party explained this by citing higher-than-expected state revenues and a lower budget deficit. It also disputed the opposition’s estimates regarding the amount of coalition funds and funding for the ultra-Orthodox sector.
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Lapid’s office responded by reiterating that additional spending should not be provided through tax increases and a greater burden on the working population and those serving in the military. Prime ministerial candidate Gadi Eisenkot supported Lapid’s position, saying that the army’s needs before the elections could be financed by ending coalition payments.
Budget changes requiring Knesset approval cannot be introduced without its decision. Parliament is on its summer recess ahead of the October elections, although a plenary session may be convened under certain circumstances; therefore, opposition support is important for advancing Netanyahu’s initiative.
Israel’s 2026 budget, adopted in March, sets a spending ceiling of approximately 699 billion shekels. The Ministry of Defense budget was set at nearly 142 billion shekels, and due to the war it was increased by approximately 32 billion shekels, according to the publication. The budget also includes nearly 6 billion shekels in coalition funds, hundreds of millions of which are earmarked for ultra-Orthodox institutions.
