From the Liveblog of
Monday, December 16, 2024
Budget bill narrowly passes 1st reading, after Ben Gvir and party vote against
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The Knesset narrowly approves the 2025 Budget Bill in its first reading 59-57, after members of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, vote against it.
The passage of the first reading of the Budget Bill bill comes on the heels of the passage of the state budget framework bill, which passed 58-53, also in the face of Otzma Yehudit opposition, with Ben Gvir abstaining.
Following the vote, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich slams Ben Gvir, accusing him of being “allied with the Arab MKs and the opposition” and of “endangering the right-wing government in the middle of a war.”
“Ben Gvir and his friends, who seem to have completely lost their way, voted against transferring a critical budget for victory, reconstruction, and reservists, thereby jeopardizing a historic opportunity for the future of settlement in Judea and Samaria and the State of Israel with the incoming Trump administration,” Smotrich tweets.
“We will continue to work for the people of Israel and for victory in the war, with or without Ben Gvir.”
According to the bill, total government expenditures for 2025 will total NIS 755.9 billion ($210 billion), with a regular budget of NIS 547.36 billion ($152 billion) and a capital account budget of NIS 208.53 billion ($58 billion).
The Times of Israel Community.