Netanyahu at cabinet meeting on budget: ‘If you give to one place, you unfortunately have to take from another’

Israel’s military operations over the past month are inspiring the country’s allies and terrifying its enemies, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the cabinet meeting meant to approve the 2025 state budget.

“We are not finished, and big things are still ahead of us,” he promises.

Netanyahu says the budget will be passed later today or tomorrow morning.

The war effort depends on the economy, says the premier. “We cannot have a strong army if we have no way to finance it. Therefore, security depends on the economy, but the economy also depends on security. If there is an ability to damage our cities, our industry, then obviously our economic capacity would be affected.”

Netanyahu says that the economy has proven “surprisingly resilient” over the past year. At the same time, he warns that though the security forces will be strengthened by the new budget, there will be cuts elsewhere.

“If you give to one place, you unfortunately have to take from another place,” he says. “There are ways to do this.”

Speaking after Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich admits there are sacrifices in the budget.

“The economic effort is an inseparable part of the war effort,” says the leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party. “We are all together in unity, in mutual guarantee. You will see that the costs are spread over everyone equally. No one feels that their world has collapsed on them.”

Smotrich says the cabinet will come together to vote “with love, unity, brotherhood, peace and camaraderie, with the understanding that many good and important plans will have to wait after the war.”

“It is important that we transmit stability and control,” he cautions.

He says that once the war is won, there will be “fantastic returns” for the economy.