Israeli premier accommodates coalition partners in state budget

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly agreed with the far-right Otzma Yehudit and Ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism Parties on the 2023-24 state budget set for a vote in the Knesset this week.

The far-right parties had threatened Israel’s longest-serving prime minister to topple the government over a budget dispute.

The Israeli coalition government approved the proposed budget of 484 billion shekels (about $132 billion) for 2023 and 514 billion shekels (about $140 billion) for 2024 in the parliamentary committee earlier.

The budget allocated additional funding for Yeshivas – traditional Jewish educational institutions – students, and employees there. One billion shekel (around $270 million) in a food aid program on the demand of coalition partner Shas Party were also included in the budget.

An additional 250 million shekels (approximately $68 million) demanded by the far-right Itamar Ben-Gvir for the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Ministry, were also approved.

Netanyahu also came to terms with the right-wing United Torah Judaism over additional funding for Yeshiva students.

If the budget is not approved by the Knesset by May 29, the government will fall and Israelis will cast their votes in the early elections.

Opposition denounces allocations for Haredim

Haredim are often criticized for being exempted from compulsory military service. Their representation in the Israeli labor force is also insignificant.

Haredim are the most religiously devout group in Israel, with 96% saying religion is very important in their lives.

The opposition said that Haredim, who make up about 13% of Israel's population, "get the lion's share of the budget.”

The former prime minister and the leader of the Yesh Atid (There is Future) Party, Yair Lapid, accused Haredi politicians of “dragging not only their own children but the entire Israeli society into poverty.”

Lapid denounced the government’s proposed state budget, saying that Israeli middle-class tax money will be funneled to finance the unemployed Haredi population.

He said that Haredi men have only a "51% employment rate" and that with the proposed budget, fewer Haredi will join the workforce.

Meanwhile, another figure from the opposition benches, Benny Gantz argued that the proposed budget has created a rift.

Former defense minister and National Unity Party leader, Benny Gantz, in his speech at the party meeting, termed the budget plan a "partition plan" discriminating between the sectors of society represented by the current coalition parties and the rest of Israel’s citizens.

Former Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, said that the new proposed budget will encourage Haredi not to join labor work.

Netanyahu last week in a statement appealed to his coalition partners, saying: “The time has come to cease threats, and cease boycotts. Everyone needs to work together to pass the budget for the Land of Israel and the Torah of Israel.”

Netanyahu also called on coalition partners to “work in unity to pass the budget for the nation.”

The Israeli government is scheduled to bring the proposed 2023-2024 national budget to the Knesset for voting on Tuesday night.