PM praises government’s ‘harmony’ passing budget, reiterates it will finish term

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praises the government’s “harmony” in passing the 2026 state budget, in remarks at the conclusion of the meeting at which it was approved.

“I estimate that around this table, in this room, I’ve passed at least 23 budgets, I don’t know the exact count, as prime minister or as finance minister. But I can hardly remember passing a budget in such harmony,” he said, though he acknowledged some “blips here and there.”

“And in an election year in particular, there’s never been anything like it,” he adds.

“I would say, this testifies to the spirit — the spirit of enlisting oneself, of ‘getting under the stretcher,’ the desire to continue with the burdens and missions of this government, which — as I said — will live out its days,” the premier continues, referring to his own comments before the vote.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says, “I really believe that this budget is good. On a political-national level, and in terms of our security and public diplomacy, etc., and also on an economic level — a great deal of infrastructure, a great deal of benefits that encourage growth, a lot of good news for the public, we spoke about lowering the cost of living and lowering taxes. A good budget.”

“We need to pass this budget in the Knesset, quickly, unanimously, with all the agreements. The faster we pass it — the easier it will be for all of us,” Smotrich says.