Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for an increase in the defense budget, according to The Jerusalem Post. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would support the move only if coalition funds for the haredi sector deemed 'corrupt' are canceled. Netanyahu responded by denouncing what he called a 'blood libel' against IDF soldiers.
The political debate over Israel's defense budget intensified Monday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushing for a significant increase in military spending. According to The Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu is seeking to raise the IDF budget. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would support the move, but only on condition that what he termed "corrupt" coalition funds allocated to the haredi sector be canceled instead. Netanyahu responded sharply, denouncing what he called a "blood libel against our soldiers."
The exchange comes amid a broader public and political dispute over defense priorities and haredi (ultra-Orthodox) military service exemptions. As The Zioneer reported earlier Monday, former IDF chief and opposition MK Gadi Eisenkot explicitly backed Lapid's call to redirect coalition funds toward military needs, accusing the government of ignoring warnings about ammunition shortages (published Mon 17:51 Jerusalem). The Zioneer has also previously covered Netanyahu's approval of tens of billions in defense budget increases (July 3) and a decision to add 350 billion shekels over the next decade (June 25).
The current debate underscores the coalition tensions between the Likud-led government and its haredi partners, who face pressure over funding and conscription policy. Lapid's condition effectively challenges the coalition's internal stability, while Netanyahu's response signals an attempt to reframe the issue as a defense of soldiers' honor.
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