Confrontation in the emergency government: A cabinet meeting to be held on Monday to approve changes in the 2023 budget because of the war has sparked a debate between members of the original coalition and members of Benny Gantz's state camp.
MK Ze'ev Elkin told the High Court of Justice this morning that the state camp is demanding changes in the budget, and if they do not happen, their party will vote against the budget in both the government and the Knesset. According to him, there may be additional opponents from within the Likud to the passage of the budget, which may torpedo its passage.
The cabinet meeting is expected to approve NIS 30 billion for war budgets, NIS 17 billion for defense purposes, and NIS 13 billion for war-related civilian needs. According to estimates in the Ministry of Finance, the war will cost NIS 200 billion, and those around Smotrich are furious with Gantz, who is causing difficulties and public criticism over a marginal sum of NIS 200 million in dispute, such as the issue of cutting yeshiva budgets, Jewish culture and more.
The tension over the budget was published last Thursday in Israel Hayom. A discussion with Netanyahu, Smotrich, Gantz and Trooper ended without agreement, with Gantz demanding not to transfer coalition funds that are not intended for war purposes, and Netanyahu and Smotrich claiming that they have cut budget additions, divert funds for war purposes, and that the remaining funds are intended for security purposes and are intended to cover commitments that have already been made.
In a letter sent by the state camp to the prime minister, they wrote: "Transferring coalition funds and funds for ministerial use unrelated to the war, as the finance minister wants to promote these days, will harm Israeli resilience and cohesion that exists in Israeli society. At this time, Israeli society as a whole must go under the stretcher, the entire public knows this, and the Israeli government should do the same. We are facing enormous economic and social challenges down the road as well, and a deficit that is expected to grow significantly and affect the economy.
"At this time, all available money must go to the needs of the war and to them alone. I reiterate my demand to divert all possible coalition resources and funds that have not yet been exhausted to fiscal year 2023 and, accordingly, to 2024 immediately for the needs of the war and its derivatives. If the meeting takes place and the budget remains in place, the state camp faction will vote against the proposed budget and consider its next steps."
"Those who do not know how to compromise do not understand what unity is"
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on Facebook in response to the letter from members of the state camp: "It is sad that there are those who are able to hint at the thought of dismantling this important unity because of several hundred million shekels that he does not like, and as mentioned, six months ago were budgeted within the state budget, out of the approximately two hundred billion that this war will cost. This is a percentage of the budget that will be approved today and about one-tenth and a half percent of the total estimated cost of the war. Those who do not know how to compromise with their partners and respect their opinions, even if they think otherwise, do not understand what unity is.
"The prime minister did well to decide to bring the budget to the government today. Without the budget being approved by the government and the Knesset urgently, it will not be possible to budget for the continued stay of the evacuees in hotels, it will not be possible to budget the Takuma Administration and begin to return the residents of the envelope home, it will not be possible to budget the local authorities on the conflict lines, the needs of health, welfare, and more.
"I hope," Smotrich wrote, "that in the hours remaining until the cabinet discussion, our partners in the emergency government in the state camp will come to their senses, show the necessary national responsibility and vote in favor of this important supplementary budget for the victory of the State of Israel on the front and on the home front."
Worked behind the scenes, Trooper, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
A source close to Gantz said, "At a time when hundreds of thousands are in reserve duty (in uniform or in civil society), entire industries are closing, many are on unpaid leave and the deficit is growing, we need to show a personal example. An increase of NIS 500 million in the budget of the yeshivas, the allocation of over NIS 400 million to the Ministry of National Missions whose purpose is unclear, and an increase in teachers' salaries on a new horizon that is not based on the education system by 40% instead of the 14% we agreed upon – are a finger in the eye for the public.
"Gantz is the first to support proper education for the ultra-Orthodox, including the increase that was agreed upon, in budgeting security components in Judea and Samaria in addition to frontier communities, and elsewhere. This is not what is being presented to the government today, and above all, it is not a personal example in the face of millions whose livelihoods are harmed, who have been evicted from their homes, and in the face of the enormous economic and social challenge we face.
"It should be emphasized that out of more than NIS 10 billion of coalition funds for the coming year, the diversion proposed by the Finance Minister is only NIS 70 billion at this time, and not <>%. It's not too late to stop and do the right thing. We all have a national responsibility."
The Prime Minister's Office said yesterday: "Tomorrow we will submit to the government an unprecedented budget of NIS 30 billion for a month and a half, which meets the needs of the war. The budget will provide a full response to the IDF's defensive and offensive needs, will take care of the families of the abducted, wounded, dead and murdered, the families of the evacuees in hotels and guest houses, and will ensure that the Israeli economy will continue to work and prosper. The budget will provide support for reservists, the Takuma Administration for the rehabilitation of communities, businesses that were damaged, on-call classes, and the health, welfare and education needs of all citizens of Israel. Coalition funds have already been cut by more than 70%, NIS 1.6 billion, and what remains is intended for civilian needs such as teachers' salaries and not for any political use."
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