According to Israeli state television KAN, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich held a press conference about the 2025 budget draft. “Currently, we are waging the longest and most costly war in Israeli history. We estimate the direct cost of this war to be around 200-250 billion shekels ($54-68 billion),” Smotrich said. he said
Stating that 160 billion shekels ($43.4 billion) were allocated for security and war in the budget, Smotrich emphasized that they also allocated 44 billion shekels ($11.9 billion) of their annual budget to civilian needs. He also announced that they would allocate 20 billion shekels ($5.4 billion) for reconstruction works.
Smotrich stated that 9 billion shekels ($2.4 billion) will be allocated from the budget for reserve soldiers, and 10 billion shekels ($2.7 billion) will be allocated for people displaced from the Gaza Strip and areas close to the Lebanon border. Stating that they will allocate 1.4 million shekels (380 thousand dollars) for social and mental health expenses, Smotrich stated that they will allocate 16 billion shekels (4.3 billion dollars) as compensation to companies.
The Israeli Parliament is expected to meet on Monday, September 9, to vote on the 2025 budget. This budget is considered an important step prepared to respond to the country’s current crisis and the economic difficulties brought by the war.
