Cabinet discusses defense budget
Ministers convene for special meeting to discuss defense establishment funding in face of 'changing threats'
The cabinet convened Wednesday for a special meeting on the defense budget. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened the discussion by explaining Israel's special security needs.
"The threats Israel faces are changing and we need to be prepared. We must see to it that Israeli citizens continue to enjoy security under the changing conditions," he said.
The prime minister said that Wednesday's discussion has never been held in a cabinet forum. "We will eventually be asked to decided not only the amount of money we invest in security but also where to invest it within the defense establishment over the next five years and possibly the next decade."
Netanyahu remarked that the cabinet must address the "historic changes happening around us."
Defense Ministry officials claim that the defense establishment has cut a total of NIS 9.4 billion in the past five years in compliance with the Brodet Committee recommendations.
However, according to Finance Ministry evaluations, the Ministry has cut only NIS 800 million a year and failed to meet the committee's target cut of NIS 10 billion a year.
