Israel security budget causes dispute
The conflict between the Israeli military establishment and the Ministry of Finance over the defense budget has escalated, amid continued troop deployments on several fronts (Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank) and preparations for a potential renewed confrontation with Iran. Chief of Staff Iyal Zamir warned of the repercussions of insufficient funding on the army’s readiness, noting that estimates suggest the budget needs could reach around 195 billion shekels if the war with Iran intensifies. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry claims that allocated funding exceeds double that amount, with a gap of approximately 40 billion shekels. The disagreements mainly concern timing, especially with elections approaching, which could lead to delaying major commitments and threaten crucial arms deals, such as the Apache helicopters. The situation also impacts ammunition reserves and reserve call-ups, with warnings that these threats could jeopardize the army's readiness to face multiple challenges, all within the framework of a plan to build strength valued at 350 billion shekels.
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