The Knesset plenum is expected to vote today (Monday) on an additional 31 billion shekels in the 2025 budget for defense spending.
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For now, the coalition majority is not guaranteed: Degel HaTorah MKs are expected to vote, on the instructions of Maran HaGard Lando, against the budget. MK Gur Wiznitz will also vote against it.
According to a report by Dafna Liel, negotiations were taking place behind the scenes regarding the ultra-Orthodox's demands for budget increases for education.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attacked: "It is completely irresponsible to harm the defense budget during a time of war.
""I call on the ultra-Orthodox members of Knesset - come to your senses. While tens of thousands of reserve soldiers are spending the holidays outside their homes, they are not harming the war and Israel's security.".
The Shas faction will vote in favor, but even if it supports it, the fragile majority will be set at only 61.
The Shas faction issued a statement: "The budget proposal for the 'security box' that will be submitted to the Knesset plenum today deals with the most essential needs for the continuation of the fighting - the purchase of armaments and the salaries of reservists. These are matters of real life, and therefore, the Shas faction will vote in favor of the proposal.".
MKs Meir Porush and Israel Eichler, who in recent months have aligned themselves with Degel's position, have not yet decided how they will vote, with Eichler waiting to enter the Rebbe's office to receive his instructions.
MK Avi Maoz, who resigned from the coalition over budgetary demands for the Zionist Torah schools, also announced to the coalition that he is joining the opposing ultra-Orthodox - and will vote against the defense budget that is about to come up for a vote.
The coalition was surprised by his announcement and claimed: "He endangers Israel's security, harms the war effort and becomes an opposition to the state and the IDF, not just the government.".
The coalition emphasizes that the budget that is supposed to be passed today includes only an addition of thirty billion shekels to the defense budget, a budget that is urgently needed to continue the war, and without which the IDF will be forced to stop all orders and purchases, will not be able to purchase ammunition and fuel the tanks, and will not be able to pay salaries and bonuses to reservists.
""Of course, the Haredim who are not partners in the war are adding insult to injury and voting against the budget, but Maoz was expected to act responsibly and not be an opposition to the IDF and state security and to drop the budget that is essential for the continuation of the war," they said in the coalition. "We hope he will come to his senses and allow the vital budget to be passed.".
The plenary debate began at 10:00 a.m. with the presentation of the bills by Finance Committee Chairman MK Hanoch Milbitsky. The justification for the reservations will last up to seven hours, after which summaries will be heard from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, and the Finance Committee Chairman - seven minutes each.
Voting will begin in the afternoon.
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