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The government approved over 5 billion shekels in coalition funds for the new state budget, which include billions for yeshivas and for strengthening Jewish identity. The budget was opposed, however, by Construction and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, head of the haredi Agudat Israel party. In addition, the new budget framework submitted for approval proposed correcting the deficit for 2025 from 4.4% to 4.7%, but left room for it to jump to 4.9%. Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, who is in the U.S., was absent from the important discussion on the budget.