From the Liveblog of
Monday, September 29, 2025
Knesset passes NIS 30.8 billion boost to defense spending over Iran and Gaza wars
Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
The Knesset votes to allocate an additional NIS 30.8 billion ($9.2 billion) to defense spending. The legislation comes in response to Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June and the ongoing war in Gaza.
55 members of Knesset vote in favour of the proposal, with 50 opposed, with many members of both the opposition and coalition not in attendance.
The supplementary budget allocation is intended to cover increased defense spending, including for personnel, security operations, and related costs, raising overall government expenditure from NIS 756 billion ($228 billion) to NIS 787 billion ($237 billion) for 2025.
The Knesset also votes to raise the maximum overall deficit to 5.2% of GDP, up from the current cap of 4.9%.
“The army and its needs during wartime must stand above all disputes,” says Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, speaking at the Knesset plenum.
The Times of Israel Community.
