birth rate of non Zionists, fund non Zonist institutions and to bring over plane loads of elderly and sick olim. We also have a lot of foreign reserves sitting in the Bank of Israel accounts.Increase the defense budget now and make sure that reservists are trained enough and honored by the state.

are the defence forces being made to pay the price for supporting the enormous funding structures to keep the religious parties happy?

the army could cut costs by not wasting food and water, but that would go unnoticed, while this way everyone gets upset about the fact that the army actually has to save money.

I'd rather spend the money on ammunition, training, technology and preparedness, not on "arab dictatorships-like" chest pounding! GREAT STEP IDF! Save the money for the defense effort. Leave the circus parades for primitive Muslim dictatorships, because the more they pound their chests, the emptier their coffers and minds are!

What planeloads of elderly and sick olim? I haven't read anything about that. You take care of your own. If you want to save money, induce the arabs to leave. Don't turn your back on elderly Jews. In many cases, the dream of Israel is all they have

Thousands was allocated to the ILLEGAL settlements in this budget!

Israel is in very good shape financially and the government does not need to save a small amount of NIS at the cost of a serious blow to moral in the backbone of it's fighting force.. So, this is clearly strategic disinformation. It sends a message and we can guess to whom and for what purpose. If I am right, we will see a succession of decisions of this nature in the very near future..

As usual the IDF is the one expected to finance civilian projects without which governments dont win elections. Whilst I am against heavy borrowing by government some limited borrowing so the IDF would not become a casualty of social justice could have been justified. If the soldiers don't train properly or get the equipment they need then the next war will be another Lebanon humiliation which will further erode any fear the Arabs have if the IDF which will lead to more wars and Arab blackmail of Israel. For once we need Barak to get what he wants because he has been one of the few politicians trying to get the IDF more money and make the cabinet understand no money no effective IDF.