Israeli Government Cuts Ministry Budgets, Redirects Funds to West Bank Settlements
Key Takeaways
- Government cuts civilian ministry budgets while boosting settlement funding in West Bank.
- Funds are directed to settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank.
- Expansion of settlement activity in the West Bank.
Budget Shift to Settlements
The Israeli government has cut ministry budgets while allocating increasing funds to support settlements in the occupied West Bank.
“As Israeli lawmakers voted on the largest budget in their nation’s history from a fortified bunker early on Monday, one of the main aims of the $271bn spending bill became clear: a massive financial injection into extreme right-wing projects that analysts say will fundamentally alter the occupied West Bank”
The Ministry of Settlement and National Missions has been allocated 400 million shekels to authorize illegal settlements.
This signifies the growing power of far-right settler factions within the government.
Defense Spending and Settlement Growth
The Israeli government increased defense spending by approximately 42 billion shekels to cover costs of a potential war with Iran.
Settlement funding remained unaffected despite cuts in other ministries.
Over the past two weeks, more than 222 kilometers of roads have been constructed in the West Bank.
Far-Right Empowerment
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was granted sweeping administrative powers over the occupied territory.
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He has been open about his opposition to any form of two-state solution.
Netanyahu echoed this sentiment: there will be no Palestinian state to the west of the Jordan River.
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