AMMAN — The Israeli Knesset approved Benjamin Netanyahu's government
budget on Wednesday despite widespread protests in the streets. Thousands of
Israelis took to the streets to demonstrate against the allocation of
substantial subsidies to ultra-Orthodox Jews in the budget, accusing the ruling
coalition of “plundering” state funds.
اضافة اعلان
The Knesset announced that the budget was approved with 64
votes in favor and 56 opposing votes. The approved budget includes a financing
package of 484 billion shekels ($131 billion) for the current year and 514
billion shekels ($139 billion) for the following year, Amad reported.
Netanyahu's confidence and opposition's criticismBefore the vote, Benjamin Netanyahu expressed confidence in
the approval of the 2023–2024 budget, dismissing last-minute funding demands
from his far-right and religious allies.
However, the leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid,
criticized the budget, describing it as the worst in Israel's history.
According to the opposition leader, the draft budget does
not provide "an engine for growth, nor does it provide a cure for the high
cost of living, but rather it is just endless blackmail.”
Lapid argued that the budget discouraged higher education,
work, and financial support for children. He also emphasized the lack of
provisions for economic growth and the high cost of living.
Settlement expansion
The allocation of substantial funds to ultra-Orthodox
institutions and Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the
Palestinians demand for their future states, sparked anger among the
opposition.
According to Asher Blass, professor of economics at Ashkelon
Academic College, the economic data recorded in recent months in the Hebrew
state showed an increase in inflation and interest rates, and a decline in the
value of the shekel.
Plass added, in an interview with AFP that in light of these
economic conditions, the government should have set a budget that provides
"engines for growth" instead of "financial transfers" to
ultra-Orthodox Jewish institutions.
Protests
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in occupied Jerusalem,
protesting the government's allocation of "generous subsidies" to
ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The demonstrators accused the ruling coalition of
"plundering" state funds. The protest march towards Parliament was
organized by a movement that has been staging weekly demonstrations against a
controversial judicial reform project since January.
In a last-minute deal with one of the ultra-Orthodox parties
in his coalition, Netanyahu announced that married couples of ultra-Orthodox
Jews pursuing religious studies would receive 250 million shekels ($67.5
million) from the government.
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