Defense Ministry Director-General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram issued a sharply worded letter Tuesday, accusing the Finance Ministry of undermining national security by obstructing critical defense spending.
The letter, part of a deepening rift between the ministries amid 2026 budget talks, came in response to a warning from Finance Ministry Accountant General Yali Rothenberg, who flagged a looming budget overrun for 2025 and urged a freeze on all nonessential defense-related financial commitments.
1 View gallery
Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram and Finance Ministry Director General Ilan Rom
(Photos: Elad Malka/Ministry of Defense, Baruch Greenberg)
“After two years of unprecedented, high-intensity, multi-front warfare, with the defense establishment operating intensively across seven arenas, the Finance Ministry is diverting attention to matters that are negligible compared to the serious threats emerging from Iran and other nearby and distant fronts,” said Baram. “Given the focus of our enemies, Israel must now invest heavily in emergency procurement. We must act immediately to restore the full readiness of our worn-down combat systems.”
The Finance Ministry has accused the defense establishment of inefficiency and wasteful spending. Finance Ministry Director-General Ilan Rom went as far as to claim that certain budgetary practices in the defense establishment “border on criminal.” He added, “Israeli taxpayers are paying the price for defense budget waste in their health and welfare.”
In response, Baram accused the Finance Ministry of delaying dozens of critical procurement deals worth billions of shekels. These include essential purchases of ammunition, spare parts for tanks, drones and fortification projects for border communities near Lebanon and Gaza. “The Finance Ministry is even refusing to sign contracts for the construction of a barrier along the eastern border, in violation of a Cabinet procurement committee decision and despite clear emerging threats,” he said.
Baram also addressed the Finance Ministry’s claim that the defense establishment is reverting to the oversized budgets of the past. “The defense establishment is committed to drawing lessons and increasing efficiency,” he said. “The Finance Ministry argues we are repeating the mistakes made after the Yom Kippur War, when the defense budget reached 35% of GDP and led to a so-called ‘lost decade.’ Today, after two years of intense warfare, the defense budget stands at just 6.7% of GDP, and our current budget request would bring it down to 5% within two years.”
Last week, the Defense Ministry expressed outrage over figures published by the Finance Ministry, which projected a 2026 baseline defense budget of NIS 80 to 90 billion. Defense officials said the real numbers are far from those presented. They are demanding a baseline budget of NIS 100 billion, plus an additional NIS 25 billion for the reserve forces and approximately NIS 20 billion for weapons procurement and other missions.