Liberman at the meeting
Photo: Ariel Harmoni/Israeli Ministry of Defense
Lieberman pans Kahlon for withholding north's security funds
Defense minister urges northern municipal leaders and military officials to pressure Finance Ministry to hand over millions of shekels earmarked for filling security gaps, 'otherwise it's tears for generations'; Finance Ministry says Lieberman 'misinterpreting the decision.'
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman called on leaders in northern Israel Tuesday to demand from the government that a 2014 decision to vamp up security arrangements in the sector's Home Front Command be implemented, accusing the Finance Ministry of “torpedoing it for reasons that are unclear.”
“We are dealing with something that is essentially a matter of life. From my point of view it is the most disappointing thing that the government doesn't implement a decision which it took,” Lieberman said.
Meeting with the heads of the large municipalities in the northern sector in Haifa, including the city’s mayor, Yona Yahav, and, among others, military officials and representatives from the interior and defense ministries, Lieberman decried the government’s failure to allocate funds—totalling NIS 150 million annually over the course of the next ten years—to remedy shortfalls in security matters throughout the country, and particularly in northern Israel.
(Photo: Ariel Harmoni/Israeli Ministry of Defense)
“We are dealing with something that is essentially a matter of life. From my point of view it is the most disappointing thing that the government doesn't implement a decision which it took,” Lieberman said.
"Since the decision was taken, the Finance Ministry has torpedoed the implementation for reasons that are not clear despite the clear need for strengthening the north and despite the fact that the working program has been finalized.”
Highlighting the security deficiencies in the northern sector, Lieberman emphasized the glaring discrepancies when compared with the southern half of the country.
“Defense of the northern home front is significantly lacking compared to the south, but even in the south we are facing many budgetary difficulties,” he told the officials.
(Photo: Ariel Harmoni/Israeli Ministry of Defense)
“The time had come to deal with the matter seriously, he continued, warning that “otherwise it will mean tears for generations. It is also your responsibility, leaders of the municipalities, to demand that the government’s decision is implemented. The north must receive significant strength on every matter that relates to the defense of the home front.”
Those attending the meeting praised Lieberman for taking the initiative to hold the meeting, the first of its kind, in an attempt to fill the gaps and resolve the issues.
For its part, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement saying that the budget was being fully spent but that no decision obligated the ministry to allocate the money to defense spending.
“We regret that the defense minister is not accurately interpreting the government’s decisions,” the statement read. “The Finance Ministry will continue to act in accordance with government decisions and with sensitivity to the security of the citizens.”
