From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Cabinet approves budget increase, including $473 million for Gaza aid
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"
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government votes to approve an NIS 31 billion ($9 billion) increase to the 2025 state budget — NIS 1.6 billion ($473 million) of which will go toward humanitarian aid for Gaza.
According to public broadcaster Kan, the increase will primarily go toward defense spending and will be accompanied by cuts to ministerial budgets, angering some members of Netanyahu’s cabinet. The additional funds will still require the approval of the Knesset.
According to the Ynet news site, the ministries with already larger budgets will be the most influenced by the cuts, with the National Security Ministry set to face the biggest slash to its spending.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Education Minister Yoav Kisch said in a joint statement on Tuesday morning that they would oppose the budget proposal being presented to the government unless it included funding for security at educational institutions in the coming school year.
Speaking during today’s cabinet meeting, Kisch complained that while aid to Gaza is being increased, he has not received funds he requested for mental health assistance for students, telling Smotrich: “you prefer the children of Gaza over the children of Israel” and claiming that he is a “small man with a big ego, according to a transcript leaked to Hebrew media.
Ben Gvir also blasted Netanyahu during the meeting, saying that he is “the one responsible” for this “disgrace,” according to leaked transcripts.
In response to criticisms, Netanyahu insisted that “the money does not go to Hamas, but to the aid centers, to the residents of Gaza,” prompting Ben Gvir to ask “why prioritize the children of Gaza?”
Israeli military operations have collapsed just about all services in Gaza, and it is responsible under international law to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the war zone.
In a statement responding to the criticism, Smotrich panned the minority of “populist ministers” who were more interested in “hurling personal insults and creating headlines,” while the majority of cabinet members showed national responsibility by passing the budget.
The Times of Israel Community.