The future of the right-wing religious government is secured: After weeks of argument, Israel’s parliament has passed the budget for 2023 and 2024. Opposition leader Lapid criticized the distribution of the funds as devastating.
Israel’s parliament has passed the budget for the current and coming year, thereby ensuring the continued existence of Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing religious government. The budget was approved on the last reading, according to a spokesman for Netanyahu’s Likud party.
Previously, there had been disputes within the coalition over the distribution of the funds for weeks. According to the Knesset, the total budget will be around 484 billion shekels (120 billion euros) for 2023 and around 514 billion shekels (around 130 billion euros) for 2024.
“We’re going on for four good years”
After the vote, Netanyahu said, according to media reports, “We’re going to continue for four good years.” Had the budget not been passed by May 29, Parliament would have automatically dissolved. New elections would have been necessary. In the past, several governments failed to pass the budget.
Before the vote, several coalition partners had threatened not to vote for the budget. Among others, the right-wing extremist police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the strictly religious coalition partners demanded more money for their areas. Netanyahu finally reached an agreement with the individual parties shortly before the final vote.
Tens of thousands protest
Thousands of people demonstrated in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening against the allocation of further funds to ultra-Orthodox Israelis. They protested against a “looting” of public funds.
Opposition leader Jair Lapid also criticized the distribution of the funds as devastating. The budget promotes the dependence of parts of the population on the state. He is referring to larger sums that are made available for strictly religious communities. Only some of them take an active part in working life. Many young men devote themselves mainly to religious studies instead.
Netanyahu’s right-wing religious coalition has a majority of 64 of the 120 seats in parliament. The rightmost government in Israel’s history was sworn in late last year.