Budget

Israel's budget deadline: What happens if Knesset cannot agree in time? - explainer

By law, failure to pass the budget by March 31 leads to an automatic collapse of the government and snap elections within about 90 days.

 The Knesset building, home of Israel's legislature, in Jerusalem, on November 14, 2022 (Illustrative).
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen after the vote on the state budget at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, January 28, 2026.

Knesset advances 2026 state budget in first reading amid coalition crisis over haredi draft

 Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as lawmakers gather at the Knesset plenum to vote on a bill that would limit some Supreme Court power, in Jerusalem July 24, 2023.

Netanyahu convenes emergency meeting as haredi parties threaten to block state budget vote

 The Knesset building, home of Israel's legislature, in Jerusalem, on November 14, 2022 (Illustrative).

Knesset to vote on first reading of 2026 state budget, amid haredi parties' threats


Israel's forests burn while gov't continues to underfund Fire and Rescue Authority

Our forests are burning, yet the government is stoking the conflagration by cutting budgets.

 A forest fire is seen burning in Israel.

Teachers' Union strike negotiations ends after agreement reached

This follows earlier reports of the Teachers' Union rejecting the compromise proposal to shorten the planned strike from three hours to just one hour.

Schools are quiet as the Teachers' Union seeks to strike, May 5, 2025.

Trump’s 2026 budget request includes plans for an Israeli-inspired ‘Golden Dome for America’

It’s part of Trump’s proposal for a massive $113 billion increase in Department of Defense spending, a jump of 13%, amid widespread cuts elsewhere. 

 U.S. President Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 30, 2025.

‘You are being incited with lies’: Smotrich denies Finance Ministry responsible for teacher pay cuts

Smotrich claimed there were necessary budget cuts across multiple sectors as a result of the war's growing cost.

 Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at Knesset, February 10, 2025.

Almost half of Israelis do not think you can remove Hamas and release hostages - poll

Israel Democracy Institute found that 68% of respondents would prioritize returning the hostages, compared to 25% who would prioritize toppling Hamas.

A Palestinian Hamas terrorist speaks with a Stephanie Eller before the release of hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, February 15, 2025.

Where priorities lie: Israel's largest-ever budget clogged by political patronage

The Jerusalem Dispatch Podcast with Elliot Jager and Calev Ben-David.

 Elliot Jager and Calev Ben-David on The Jerusalem Dispatch Podcast.

Knesset passes law defining rehabilitation responsibility in Israel's south, releases budgets

With the passing of the law, NIS five billion from the directorate's NIS 19 billion budget will be released for economic, social and infastructure development.

 The destruction caused by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be'eri, near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel, October 14, 2023.

Israel's economic resilience comes despite gov't policy, expert tells TML

Despite government claims of resilience, economists warn the new budget depends inequality, neglects infrastructure, and bets on short-term political survival over long-term economic stability.

Bezalel Smotrich is seen pointing down in an illustrative featuring credit agency Moody's.

Smotrich passed the state budget, and all it cost was his party - poll

The Religious Zionist Party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, fell below the electoral threshold with just 2.6% support.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks in the Knesset plenum, in Jerusalem, March 25, 2025

Bank of Israel chief critical of 2025 wartime budget

Bank of Israel governor criticized the country's 2025 budget, cautioning that it would not bring down debt levels enough to offset a spike in spending caused by the war.

Governor of the Bank of Israel Amir Yaron speaks during a press conference at the Bank of Israel offices in Jerusalem, on January 2, 2022.