Budget

Netanyahu convenes emergency meeting as haredi parties threaten to block state budget vote

Both haredi parties have threatened to withhold support for the state budget unless agreements are reached on the draft law to avoid conscription.

 Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as lawmakers gather at the Knesset plenum to vote on a bill that would limit some Supreme Court power, in Jerusalem July 24, 2023.
 The Knesset building, home of Israel's legislature, in Jerusalem, on November 14, 2022 (Illustrative).

Knesset to vote on first reading of 2026 state budget, amid haredi parties' threats

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich after a press conference at the ministry, December 4, 2025; illustrative.

Government submits 2026 budget to Knesset, Smotrich vows passage despite rifts

THE KNESSET during a meeting on December 24, 2025.

Gov’t faces one-week deadline to pass first reading of state budget amid haredi draft bill threats


Israeli government approves 2025 budget in Knesset, passing major hurdle

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich: budget for war and reservists • Yair Lapid: Middle class is tired of being exploited

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks in the Knesset plenum, in Jerusalem, March 25, 2025

Can Israel’s economy withstand a second round of war, judicial reform, and soaring debt? - analysis

Israel's workforce is spread thin from war, extensive support to citizens, and high cost of living. Will the Israeli economy survive?

An electronic board displaying market data is seen at the entrance of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, in Tel Aviv, Israel

Knesset set for final 2025 budget voting overnight

The Knesset will debate the state budget overnight as haredi draft demands add tension; final votes are set for Tuesday after months of political maneuvering.

 The Finance Ministry offices are seen on May 14, 2023

Cuts to the National Authority for Community Safety will harm communities - opinion

We call on the National Security Ministry to immediately halt these huge cuts, will effectively lead to the cessation of the authority’s activity in all Israeli cities and will harm communities.

 ISRAELI ARABS protest against the violence within their communities, outside the Knesset, in November, in 2024.

Israelis didn't question attacking Gaza on Oct. 7, they are now - editorial

On October 7, no one questioned Netanyahu’s reasons for going to war. Now, many do – undermining the sense of national purpose and solidarity that was once so clear.

Israelis attend a protest march against the decision of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire head of Shin Bat Ronen Bar, at the entrance to Jerusalem, March 19, 2025.

First budget bills expected to pass into law overnight

The bills were expected to pass with a comfortable majority, following the return of MK Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party to the government.

 Finance Minister and Head of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, February 3, 2025.

Knesset tensions rise as opposition seeks to block budget cuts

Israel’s 2025 budget faces opposition pushback over proposed spending cuts, potentially delaying its approval ahead of the March 31 deadline.

 The Finance Committee meets in the Knesset, June 2021

Coalition struggling to muster majority to pass 2025 budget, sources say

The bill is currently being prepared in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee but is unlikely to pass by the end of the month.

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Construction and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf seen in Jerusalem, September 27, 2023

NIS 1b. for yeshivot inserted into budget base, haredi parties say

The decision means that the funds will no longer be labeled as “coalition funds”.

 HOUSING MINISTER Yitzhak Goldknopf, United Torah Judaism’s leader, in the Knesset last month. He turned to his Jewish heritage and instincts regarding the plight of the hostages, notes the writer.

Government approved 2025 ‘coalition funds’ amidst criticism

Coalition funds are a part of the national budget aimed at enabling the implementation of political agreements.

 Finance Minister and Head of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, February 3, 2025.