Netanyahu seeks cuts to 2014 budget to finance Gaza war
Netanyahu, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon and Finance
Minister Yair Lapid are seeking cuts of two percent from every government
ministry -- other than defence -- to raise about 2 billion shekels ($561
million, 425 million euros).
According to documents released by the cabinet office ahead
of Sunday's weekly meeting the biggest proposed cut is to the education ministry,
which is being asked to give up 4.8 billion shekels.
Welfare and social services are being asked for 62.6 million
and health spending is to be trimmed by 43 million.
Welfare Minister Meir Cohen protested, saying there was no
more fat on his budget to trim.
"From whom will we take? From those who have nothing to
put in their children's sandwiches for school?" he said on Israeli army
radio.
Netanyahu's own office, which is responsible for the
domestic and foreign intelligence agencies, the Atomic Energy Commission and
other departments, is to lose 33 million.
The foreign ministry, long bedevilled by dwindling budget
allocations and rocked earlier this year by a strike of senior diplomats and a
lockout of the foreign minister from his Jerusalem office, needs to trim 11.9
million.
The original 2014 budget was itself an austerity package
which Lapid said was essential for the country's economic health.
It was to have cut 3.0 billion shekels from defence spending
but after hard lobbying from Yaalon 2.75 billion shekels were reinstated.
Lapid warned at the time that if defence spending were not
reined in the axe would fall on health, education and social spending.
Sunday's cabinet session took place in southern Israel , near the Gaza border, in solidarity with Israelis
pounded by thousands of rockets and mortar rounds until Tuesday's truce.
"I hope that this quiet will continue but we are
prepared, for any scenario," Netanyahu's office quoted him as telling the
meeting.
Comments
Post a Comment