The Knesset plenum began this morning (Monday) the debate on the state budget for the years 2023-4 and the debate on the Settlements Law, in preparation for their expected approval in the second and third readings on Wednesday. At the same time, agreements were reached between Agudat Israel, Likud and the Ministry of Finance, which paves the way for them to support the budget.
Later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Smotrich announced that they had reached an agreement regarding the demands of the Torah Judaism faction. In accordance with the agreement, it was decided that the budget framework will not be breached and the budget book will not be opened. The cost – up to 250 million NIS. In accordance with the agreement with Torah Judaism, Abarach will receive a one-time grant from the beginning of the year until June, which will make up the gap in the monthly payment. If additions to the budget are required, they will come exclusively from unused surpluses of the ultra-orthodox education coalition funds.
The coalition does have one more week, until May 29, to pass the budget, this against the background of threats from the Otzma Yehudit and Agudat Israel parties not to vote with them. However, a breakthrough was recorded tonight after long talks between the chairman of Agudath Israel, Yitzhak Goldknopf, with his chief of staff, Moti Babchik, and with the Prime Minister’s and the Treasury’s staff. As for the demands of Minister Wasserlauf, from the Otzma Yehudit party, to compare the amount of his office with that of Minister Struck, said MK Zvika Vogel from his party, in an interview on Kol Hai radio, that “the budget will pass, there is no crisis and there never was. We will not bring Lapid to power and we will not bring down the government over the budget.”
There are seven bills in total: two state budget laws, two settlement laws, and three additional laws. The debate began today (Monday) morning with the speeches of the members of the Knesset and will continue until tomorrow, Tuesday, at 20:30. At this stage, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chairman of the Finance Committee will make speeches. After that, the voting marathon will begin for another day, and in total it is about seventy hours.
video-credit">Video: Gafni speaks at the Knesset Plenum
Chairman of the Finance Committee Moshe Gafni opened the discussion and addressed the attacks against the ultra-orthodox public: “I have a granddaughter. She got married, had a son, a first grandchild, a young girl, a young woman, she works in high-tech, earns well, and contributes to the state’s economy, and she works together with her ultra-Orthodox friends from the Wolf Seminary in Bei Barak. All the core subjects are studied there, but people sit here and say, she doesn’t deserve it. She studies more than a secular student, because she studies the core of Judaism, not just chemistry and algebra.”
