Less than five weeks before the election for the 26th Knesset, the Knesset Finance Committee will convene Wednesday to approve a series of budget transfers, led by nearly 15 billion shekels (about $4.9 billion) for the defense establishment.
The transfer, intended to fund IDF rearmament after three years of war and two costly campaigns against Iran, was approved by the government two months ago but has been “stuck” in the Knesset since August 2. It will be carried out under an agreement between the coalition and opposition, as required during the 90 days preceding an election. At the same time, the Finance Committee will be asked to approve several additional transfers.
The Finance Committee transfers will help rearm the IDF
(Photos: IDF spokespersons unit Jack Guez / AFP)
According to the Finance Ministry request, the transfer to the defense establishment for rearmament and funding tens of thousands of reservists will total 14.748 billion shekels. About 11.5 billion shekels (about $3.8 billion) was submitted to the Knesset for approval a month and a half ago, with more than 3 billion shekels ($993 million) added over the past week.
No agreement has yet been reached over an additional allocation of more than 25 billion shekels (about $8.3 billion) sought by the IDF, amid disagreement over the funding sources between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid. Lapid has demanded cuts to coalition funds in exchange for the opposition’s support for the additional transfer, part of which has been defined as non-urgent.
Opposition members are not expected to oppose a series of other transfers approved by the Agreements Committee. However, Knesset lawmaker Vladimir Beliak of Yesh Atid, who coordinates the opposition on the Finance Committee, told Ynet that if additional transfer proposals are submitted that were not agreed upon in advance by the committee, the opposition will oppose them.
“We will approve only what was agreed. It should pass relatively smoothly. Anything that was not agreed upon, if more requests are submitted at the last minute, we will oppose bringing them for approval in the committee tomorrow,” he said.
The committee also will be asked to approve the following transfers:
- 72 million shekels (about $23.8 million) to the National Security Ministry for the ministry headquarters, the Community Security Authority and the firefighting squadron.
- 6 million shekels (nearly $2 million) from the state budget’s general reserve to the Welfare Ministry in coalition funds for at-risk youth, defined in the request as a “response for disconnected Haredi youth in the community.”
- 46 million shekels (about $15 million) to the Jerusalem and Jewish Tradition Ministry, which operates within the Prime Minister’s Office, to fund infrastructure at the Lag BaOmer bonfire site in Meron and the annual Meron pilgrimage.
- 4 million shekels (about $1.3 million) to the Housing Ministry from the Israel Prison Service budget, along with 36 million shekels (nearly $12 million) in commitment authorization, for a total of NIS 40 million.
- Additional transfers include 164 million shekels ($54.32 million) to the National Insurance Institute for benefit payments, including return grants for residents evacuated during the war.
- The Survey of Israel mapping agency is to receive 25 million shekels (about $8.3 million) immediately and another 22 million shekels (about $7.3 million) in commitment authorization for five staff positions involved in mapping and registering land in Area C and East Jerusalem.
The Finance Committee also will be asked to approve Finance Ministry requests that were already submitted to the committee but were not put to a vote because the meeting was adjourned.
These include 800 million shekels (about 265 million) for the Finance Ministry, of which 630 million shekels (about $209 million) is intended to balance the compensation fund, and 38.6 million shekels (about $12.8 million) for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, or COGAT, under the Civil Administration.