Lapid Demands End to Haredi Funding for Defense Budget Support

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security briefing for opposition leader Yair Lapid, during which Netanyahu requested Lapid's support for opening the budget law to transfer additional funds to the defense establishment, according to a statement from Lapid's office. The meeting also included the head of the IDF Planning Directorate and the head of the National Security Council.

According to the announcement released by Lapid's office following the meeting, the former prime minister responded to Netanyahu's request: "I support the proposal and back transferring the funds, because we need to strengthen the IDF, but the budgetary source cannot be raising taxes on the middle class and reservists that you are leading toward."

Lapid set a clear condition for his support, while inciting against the haredi public: "Instead, include in the proposal a cancellation of the corrupt coalition funds and the tens of billions of shekels that you are currently transferring to finance haredi draft evasion, and we will support the proposal in the Knesset as well."

Standing alone: MK Yair Lapid (Photo: Gili Yaari/Flash90)

The defense budget crisis has deepened significantly in recent months, with senior military officials led by the Chief of Staff warning that the coffers are empty and that promises to increase the budget to 183 billion shekels have not been implemented on the ground. These warnings were accompanied by descriptions of enormous budgetary gaps that opened following the maneuvering in Gaza, the fighting against Iran and the various arenas, leading to the freezing of strategic procurement deals and acute damage to the equipment of ground forces and the air force.

The IDF leadership and defense establishment recently rejected Treasury Ministry claims about lack of oversight, presenting a series of major projects that collapsed or were delayed due to lack of financial horizon. Among the most prominent are the cancellation of the advanced attack helicopter deal with the United States, alongside a growing shortage of essential combat equipment, off-road vehicles and spare parts for tanks, reflecting the heavy challenges facing the defense establishment in dealing with multi-arena threats.

The Yesh Atid party is going through a turbulent period ahead of the upcoming elections. In recent months, several senior Knesset members have left the party, including Boaz Toporovsky, Ron Katz, Yoav Segalovitz and Elazar Stern. MK Meir Cohen, one of the party's veterans, also announced that he will not run on the "Together" list for the next Knesset.