The government approved the state budget and the Settlements Law for 2023-2024 (Walla system!)
Two hours before Shabbat, white smoke finally rose from the chimneys of the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem.
After 24 nerve-racking hours for the government ministers and especially for Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who prevailed on the move - the budget for the next two years was approved.
For 2023, the budget will be about 484 billion shekels and in 2024 about 514 billion shekels.
Until the last moment, the ministers tried to exert pressure and rock the ship in order to scoop a few more billions into their pockets - and on the other hand ran into the Minister of Finance, who called himself yesterday afternoon "the bad guy who cuts and cuts".
It was a testing hour for the members of the government: raising a hand in favor of the budget will force them from now on to fulfill two commitments at the same time.
The first - against the plans they prepared for the ministries, which will no longer be able to defend themselves under the "damages of the previous government", and the second - against the transfer of the budget for approval by the Knesset, where they will have to respond to the claims of the committees and MKs.
The Commissioner called to congratulate the Minister of National Security Ben Gabir (Photo: Reuven Castro)
Until a new two-year budget is introduced for the State of Israel, at least two more months will pass, during which the government will have to be a wall in the form of the approval made yesterday.
Until the date of approval of the latest budget on May 29, the pressure from the Knesset and the public - who will try to raise their voices against each of the sections - will only increase.
It is already possible to mark some of the big winners among the ministers - who managed to bring to their offices predictions of prosperity, at least for the coming weekend.
First, there was the Ministry of Defense - which publicly closed the budget already on Wednesday night.
Under the auspices of security secrecy, they announced a budget framework for the coming years in the defense system, including the 2015 (nameless at the moment) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.
Among the news, strengthening and arming for a possible campaign with Iran, the young permanent service model and pensions.
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Minister of Education Kish (photo: official website, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education)
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The office of the Minister of National Security was also satisfied with the current move.
After difficult weeks of attacks on the home front, around-the-clock demonstrations and claims about the handcuffing of the policemen - Ben Gvir recorded an impressive achievement when he managed to add nine billion shekels to his budget, after according to reports he requested about 14 billion shekels.
A short time later, the minister already announced that the money will be deposited in the "National Guard" program that will be promoted in the near future, the recruitment of thousands of police officers and about 650 million shekels for incentives for the manpower in the police and the Security Service. Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai called to congratulate.
The Likud's election promise, about free education for toddlers up to the age of three, is also getting its first start: education for two to three year olds.
Although no budget was allocated for the issue, the government actually committed to promoting the issue in the vote.
This is another section of one of the most complex battles in the current budget - between the Treasury and the Ministry of Education.
The Minister of Education was indeed proud of the "largest budget since its inception", and said that it was a tremendous achievement for the parents and children of Israel - but refused to specify how much it would stand for.
Individual projects appear on the list, such as huge sums for special education and programs to strengthen the status of school principals (which appeared in the Arrangements Law).
However, there are some projects that are jarring in their absence, such as teachers' salaries, the budgeting of day and after-school programs - which are already threatening to exacerbate the struggle.
Boycott the vote.
Tourism Minister Katz (Photo: Reuven Castro)
The budget passed without opposition, with the exception of Tourism Minister Haim Katz, who boycotted the vote in protest of the cut in the tourism budget and the cancellation of the VAT exemption for tourism, a section that appears as part of the Arrangements Law. In less than a month and two days, the vote in the Knesset plenum will begin on the first reading. Thousands of budget items will pass with a show of
hands , and the big winners will be put to the test. Whoever manages to maintain his power will have to come up with detailed plans for the large budgets he received, as well as go through the committee mask and the thousands of reservations that are already starting to gather in the opposition ahead of the voting night.
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Minister of Finance
Bezalel Smotrich
the state budget
