Lapid: 2025 state budget is ‘greatest robbery in the history of the country’

The 2025 state budget is the “greatest robbery in the history of the country,” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid declares, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of stealing billions of shekels from the middle class in order to serve his own political interests.

“What is on the Knesset table is not a budget, it is theft. Billions upon billions that are stolen from the money of the middle class, reservists, and taxpayers, are going into the pockets of corrupt businessmen, dodgers, and refusers,” Lapid tells reporters ahead of his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.

“Billions are being stolen and given to yeshivas where Goldknopf dances and sings against those who enlist. Yesterday, Minister Goldknopf gave new meaning to the phrase ‘dancing on blood,'” he says, using a Hebrew expression for gloating.

Housing Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf caused a political uproar Sunday evening after a video emerged of the leader of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party dancing to an anti-Zionist, anti-enlistment song at his nephew’s wedding.

In a widely distributed clip, Goldknopf could be seen in the middle of a circle of young Haredi men singing that they “don’t believe in the government of infidels” and “won’t show up at their [army] recruitment offices.” The lyrics also included: “We will die and not enlist.”

“He should have been fired last night. Goldknopf is the most authentic representative of this government: an anti-Zionist minister, who helps his voters dodge the draft, sends other people’s children into battle, and then steals their money,” Lapid says. “Billions are being stolen to maintain completely unnecessary government ministries. Billions are being stolen and distributed for corrupt and shameless political bribery.”

Recalling his own stints as finance minister and prime minister, Lapid says that “this is not a budget” but rather an attack on the “productive and serving public thanks to whom the country exists.”

“The state exploits them, then ignores them,” he continues. “They didn’t raise taxes because of the war. The war is financed in other ways. They raised taxes because they can’t stop spending money on themselves. This is their solution to every political crisis.”

“Are the Haredim unhappy that the [draft] evasion law didn’t pass? We’ll give them billions from the money of working citizens,” he says. “This needs to change. The only way to get the country back on track is to strengthen the working and serving public. Lower their taxes, lower their cost of living. If the middle class is strong, the country is strong, if the government continues to weaken it, it weakens the country. If it continues to steal from the citizens, the economy will collapse.”

Asked about his recent comments calling for a tax rebellion and general strike if the government ignores the High Court should it block the firing of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, Lapid replies that he would endorse such a course of action only if the government ignores the judiciary, setting off a constitutional crisis.

Lapid also rejects the refusal by reservists to serve in the IDF.

“I completely condemn that. We are against all insubordination and we are against the government supporting mass insubordination and evasion,” he says.