Israel's government on Sunday approved cuts of 4.9 per cent across ministry budgets, worth NIS 2.6 billion (about $840 million), to fund urgent and classified defence procurement, The Times of Israel reports. The decision came nine days before the 27 October general election.
The transport ministry faces the largest cut, of about NIS 435 million, followed by education, national security, health and welfare. The cuts are expected to fall mainly on development projects and programmes rather than salaries. Legal advisers found no legal bar but urged restraint during an election period, and a Finance Ministry adviser said alternative funding with less impact on services had been identified. Opposition leader Yair Lapid and other critics said discretionary coalition funds should have been used instead. The move follows a separate NIS 1 billion allocation for US Apache helicopters.
Source: The Times of Israel
