Netanyahu to meet with Lapid on defense budget

In the news of the Israeli newspaper "Arutz Sheva", it was stated that Netanyahu's request to meet with Lapid about the defense budget was made in the shadow of the financial crisis faced by the Israeli army.

It was noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu will try to persuade Lapid to accept the discussion of the budget bill to allocate large funds to the Israeli army.

It was stated in the news that Deputy Chief of General Staff Tamir Yadai would unusually attend the meeting between Netanyahu and Lapid during the day, and that Lapid had previously rejected the request and emphasized that the necessary funds for the army should be covered from the existing budget.

Israeli state television KAN had previously reported that the financial crisis in the Israeli army had a negative impact on its attacks on the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon.

The far-right government in Israel had determined approximately 143 billion shekels ($47.3 billion) from the 2026 budget as the defense budget.

However, after Israel's attacks on Iran and Lebanon, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the budget to be increased to 183 billion shekels ($60.6 billion).

In Israel, the prime minister is obliged to inform the main opposition leader about developments in security matters at least once a month.