Israel’s War Budget Approval – Breaking World News
Israeli Parliament Approves $8 Billion “War Supplementary Budget” Amid Controversy
The Finance Committee of the Israeli Parliament has approved a “war supplementary budget” worth 28.9 billion Israeli shekels (approximately $8 billion) for the recent attack that caused a humanitarian disaster in the blockaded Gaza Strip. The budget, which is set for the 2nd and 3rd votes in the Parliament’s Plenary, has been the subject of heated debates, especially regarding the allocation for illegal Jewish settlements in occupied territories.
The budget, managed by far-right Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, includes an increase of approximately 400 million Israeli shekels (approximately 108 million dollars) for illegal Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and other regions, for “security reasons”. This increase has faced criticism from opposition ranks, with Naro Shiri, a member of parliament from the main opposition Yesh Atid Party, reminding Smotrich of past controversial statements.
In addition, audio recordings leaked to the press before the recent general elections revealed Smotrich calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a liar of liars”. Despite these tensions, Netanyahu announced that he had “forgiven Smotrich” for the statements in question and called for unity within the right-wing coalition.
Furthermore, representatives from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party have compared Smotrich’s last-minute changes to the budget to “his party acting like a gang”. Criticism has also come from US President Joe Biden, who stated that Israel is losing world support due to the indiscriminate bombings in Gaza and called for a change in leadership for a long-term solution.
Smotrich, known for his controversial views and involvement in expanding illegal Jewish settlements, has also faced backlash for his response to a recent attack in which armed fanatic Jewish settlers killed a Palestinian. His comments calling for the town of Huvvara to be “erased from the face of the earth” under the supervision of the Israeli army sparked outrage both internationally and domestically.
The Israeli Parliament is set to bring the new budget to Parliament for a second and third vote, while the controversy around the allocation for illegal settlements and Smotrich’s past statements continue to spark debate and opposition.
