Government to approve NIS 2.6 billion cuts for defense; Lapid: Coalition funds untouched as welfare, education take the hit

By Ariela Karmel

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Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

The government is expected to approve across-the-board cuts of 4.9 percent to government ministry budgets today, totaling NIS 2.6 billion ($840 million), to be redirected toward urgent defense procurement, while leaving coalition funds untouched, nine days before the October 27 election.

The cuts will affect a wide range of ministries, including education, health, welfare and transportation, with professional officials and legal advisers warning of significant consequences for public services.

The move comes just days after the government approved NIS 1 billion ($323 million) for the purchase of Apache helicopters, largely funded through cuts to a five-year economic development plan for Arab society, bringing the total allocated to defense procurement under the two decisions to more than NIS 3.6 billion ($1.1 billion).

The proposal states that the funding is needed for “classified procurement to equip the Defense Ministry,” and that details of the procurement and its urgency will be presented to the Ministerial Committee on Procurement.

According to the proposal, defense officials warn that “delaying approval of the budget until after the formation of a new government could undermine the necessary security response.”

Legal opinions accompanying the proposal warn that the cuts could significantly disrupt government services and stress the need for the government’s “restraint and moderation in the use of its powers” during an election period, although they find no legal impediment to the move.

Finance Ministry legal advisor Dudi Koppel notes that discussions with professional officials identified “alternative funding sources” that would have “less severe consequences” for public services, including funds allocated under government decisions that have not yet been implemented or are not essential to ministries’ operations.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says the defense procurement is necessary, but argues it could be funded without cutting welfare and education budgets.

“Billions of shekels are sitting in coalition funds. Instead of that money going to corrupt officials, draft dodgers and deserters, it could be used to buy Apache helicopters,” he says.

“The cuts to welfare and education budgets are yet another crime by this government against the productive, serving public,” Lapid adds.