72,000 is even in a small country like Israel not alot and what are their political beliefs. If they are hard left then they would like to see every shekel spent on the poor rather than have any clebrations. Heredim would like to see it all used to build new yeshivas. Hard right they would like it all to be used to build new settlements. Pensioners would like it all used to increase their pensions. Most ordinary people understand that 60 years only comes round once and for an ocasion like that it is justified splashing out on celebrations. We dont spend $28 million every year on celebrations so come on once and a while lets be willing to say we are willing to spend some money on celebrations that everybody can enjoy. Olmert do something right dont try and celebrate on a budget because 72,000 people have signed a petition.

yeah, stop sending our money on Idependence Day and keep spending it on killing the terrorists.

And I see nothing wrong with this budget.

especially the parties abroad given by the embassies/consulates - a waste of money,time n energy and everyone hates attending them (regardless of what country it is) and they offer nothing except an hour or 2 of social talk. we could save thousands.

and our right to settle the land of Israel. Forget welfare,use the money to teach people that working is o.k. Use money for environmental projects and protecting the rights of the workers.

TO THINK CRITICALLY HAS LONG SINCE BEEN SURRENDERED ! THE TRUTH IS THEY ARE 100% RIGHT! PROBLEM IS THE EXPENDITURE WILL HAVE A RETURN MUCH GREATER THAN THE OUTLAY AND THEN IT CAN BE ALLOCATED TO EDUCATION, ETC.! THE FACT IS ISRAELIS ARE SO HAMSTRUNG WITH AGENDA TRUTH HAS LONG SINCE BEEN VANQUISHED !

Israeli's would sign away the future of their children to appease the children of their enemies. Don't be surprised, they'd have the entire show cancelled if they could.

Israel needs a big party to celebrate 60 years of development of the Jewish State.If certain tax payers do not support the idea, they are free to save money within their own personal budgets and give it to other charities.They could buy fewer chocolates and ice creams or fewer unnecessary clothes and then donate the money to charity.These killjoys should not try and spoil our 60th birthday party !!

broken down cities, fires rampaging, too expensive to collect the piles of rotting debris, so burn. Pollution killing off lungs, cars ramming into each other on someone's wet dream on utopia in the guise of demented planning, cement now covering what was Nature - Beauty - all for the sake of *appearances* but the insides are putrifying. In the streets, in the homes and in the hearts. And the poor go hungry, the homeless freeze, the stray animals poisoned, jabbed with a needle to the heart to languish in the pain and impending deaths, while MK's clink their Baccarat glasses with Germans and *dignitaries* that will eventually sign another dirty deal to carve the land up yet some more, sell WMD's that will destroy millions and make pacts of death that cause only more destruction and suffering in the world. And now it's time to *celebrate* all that. And give the final finger to the people. Because after all, it's not our land anymore, but something twisted and sick and foreign and surely we all need some more distraction from that reality. So bring on the Roman gladiators and bring on the gay parades and bring on the actors that will make some speeches, the men in uniforms that will dance for us and we will watch from the sidelines and pretend that all is just fine. All is just fine. All is just fine.

reminiscent of the pompous displays of Mao and Ceausescu. The people are dying of deprivation - body, mind and spirit - but let's put on a good show. It'll be so much fun. And fun is what we live for.

the americans do the same to the israelis. any one with an israeli psssport always gets a separate check.

one already?)

The Tel Aviv torism minister is working with various organistions to promote ... GAY TOURISM Your not far wrong about bringing gay parades if Tel Aviv now wants to become the homosexal capital of the region. It would also explain why there are no gays in Iran they are all going to Tel Aviv. Check out Arutz Sheva website.

The money is BEST spent on security, and in expeling muslimes from Israel. We will have 60 more great years, if we EXPEL AND MOVE all muslimes from Israel---including Gaza, Golan, Judea, and Samaria. SPEND THE MONEY WISELY---EXPELLING muslimes.

barrage on gaza. Give us a real sound and light show. Then give the finger to the whole world and let them know we are independent at last!

Sadly appeasment of the enemies seems to have become culture in this country because we have our mythical peace process it seems for the politicians no price is to high. Once Jerusalem was the enternal undivided capital look at it today politicians from all sides are willing to make compromises on how to divide the city even Shas hasnt pulled our of this coalition knowing full well they are selling Jerusalem. The Golan was supposed to belong to Israel .. Rabin, Peres, Natenyahu, Barak and Olmert for them its been up for sale if Syria agrees to a peace treaty we dont even need. We have compromised on security isues for peace and we have just got more war. Barak was talking about giving about 250,00 so called refugees a right of return. The millitary once an insitution that the country was proud of has had its budget slashed time and time again to the situation where in Lebanon soilders were having to buy some of their own eqipment. The officers are getting healthy pay checks while the ordinary soilder running around with the gun is getting penuts. Giving into terror works better these days than fighting. There are no red lines anymore they are either green or pink sadly the attitude it nothing is so important that we will not compromise on it just try damage limitation instead. If we want to do something for our 60th aniversry one of the celebrations should be a decision to no longer appease the enemy for this mythical peace process because sometimes peace is not the best option.

we must be proud of our country and show this pride to the rest of the world. Private funds could also be raised to make the country joyful. There are some costs that shouldn't be raised as questions; even in the name of progress... To those who ask, I will ask in return: how much did it cost (in terms of security to the State of Israel) to organize the Gay Pride in Jerusalem?? The israeli pride could cost ten thousand times more, and we should be pleased for that. If we aren't proud of our country, it would be better to look for another one... I will never sign a petition like that, it sounds like a nonsense.