Israeli Knesset passes new wartime budget

The Israeli Knesset approved on Thursday a modified budget for the year 2023, allocating new funds for the war against Hamas and concluding intense debates on funds earmarked for settlements and radical Jews.

The Israeli legislative council agreed by a majority of 59 votes to 44 against, out of 120 votes, on the budget, allocating around 30 billion shekels (7.5 billion euros) for expenses resulting from the Hamas attack on October 7 and the ongoing war in Gaza.

The budget allocates seventeen billion shekels for military efforts. The remaining 13.5 billion is designated for residents of the towns targeted by Hamas during its attack on southern Israel, as well as residents of border areas with Lebanon, which are targeted almost daily by rockets from Hezbollah, allied with the Palestinian Islamic Movement that has governed Gaza since 2007.

The total amount for civilian expenses will be distributed among the residents and the security needs of these areas (shelters, hospital support, emergency services, and various allocations).

The 2023 budget, exceeding 600 billion shekels, was the subject of heated discussions within the coalition government between the right and far-right led by Benjamin Netanyahu, joined by part of the opposition (center-right) after the war, turning into a "national unity government."

The controversy surrounds a fund of approximately 14 billion shekels, agreed upon by the "Right Bloc" parties before the war. The fund allocates hundreds of millions for radical Jews, as well as for settlements in the occupied West Bank, considered illegal under international law.

AFP