Disagreement in Tel Aviv over additional funding to deal with Iran

According to Isna, the Ministry of War of the Zionist regime has requested an additional budget of 7 billion shekels (equivalent to about 2.2 billion dollars) to strengthen the preparedness of the Zionist regime against the growing threats of Iran.

On June 23, the Zionist regime launched aggressive attacks on Iran’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. During these attacks, nuclear installations, military centers, civilian places, including residential areas, medical centers, and also Evin prison in Tehran were targeted.

The aggressive attacks of the Zionist regime left 1062 martyrs, including senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and Iranian civilians.

Iran targeted 3 specific strategic and security locations of the Zionist regime during the Umiat Ummah Sadegh campaign, which according to reports, despite the intense and organized censorship of the Zionist regime, Iranian missiles and drones were able to pass through the multi-layered air defenses of the Zionist regime and cause extensive damage to the military and security infrastructure of this regime.

Claiming that following the war imposed by the Zionist regime, Iran is “accelerating the strengthening of its military structure, expanding purchases from China and other countries, conducting large-scale exercises and increasing its production of ballistic missiles”, the Calcalist News site claimed that this request comes almost 6 months after the “12-day war”, during which Israel and the United States attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and damaged its ballistic missile production and firing infrastructure.

In total, the budget proposed by the Ministry of War of the Zionist regime for 2026 reaches 144 billion shekels (44.7 billion dollars). According to the ministry’s announcement, about 100 billion shekels ($32 billion) of the total amount represents the “base budget” that covers matters already keyed and approved by the Ministry of Finance.

The War Ministry is requesting an additional 37 billion shekels ($11.5 billion) in “Requested Additional Appropriations for the Reserve Force,” which would cover the hiring of tens of thousands of reservists in all sectors next year. According to the ministry, about 60,000 reservists are expected to be called up, although earlier this week representatives of the army’s General Directorate of Human Resources told a Knesset committee that the number could reach 70,000.

According to the Ministry of War, the growing reliance on reservists is partly due to the non-renewal of mandatory military service, which results in an annual shortage of about 12,000 soldiers, most of whom are in combat roles. Meanwhile, the exemption from service for students of yeshiva (religious schools) continues.

Criticism of the Ministry of War from the Ministry of Finance over large contracts for the supply of weapons and ammunition

In the continuation of this article, Amir Baram, the director general of the Ministry of War, warned that the Ministry of Finance is blocking dozens of contracts for the purchase of equipment worth billions of rupees amid reports about the rapid strengthening of Iran’s weapons capabilities on the eve of a possible confrontation. These include contracts for the supply of essential weapons and ammunition for the army, spare parts for tanks, drones for maneuver units and defense systems for areas near the borders of Gaza and Lebanon.

His statements were made following the instructions of the Treasurer General Yali Rotenberg, who stated that starting this week, those unnecessary contracts of the Ministry of War that exceed the approved budget frameworks will not be authorized.

On Tuesday, in the meeting of the board of directors of this ministry, Baram reviewed the current threat landscape of the Zionist regime after two years of regional conflict on seven fronts.

Calcalist revealed yesterday that major equipment supply contracts with the US defense industry have been stopped due to insufficient funding.

Baram accused the Finance Ministry of diverting public opinion from pressing security needs by emphasizing minor issues such as alleged extravagance and irregularity in wartime operations, while ignoring serious emerging threats from Iran and elsewhere.

“The concentration of efforts by our adversaries requires Israel to invest now in an emergency framework in large-scale rearmament,” he said. We must restore to full capacity those combat forces that were worn out during the war. “Instead, the Ministry of Finance is delaying the signing of dozens of vital contracts.”

The official of the Zionist regime added that among the blocked projects, the contract to build a new security barrier along the Jordanian border is “against the decision of the committee of ministers to equip despite the clear emergence of new threats.”

The extravagance of the army and the Ministry of War; The excuse of the Ministry of Finance for blocking the financing of arms contracts

In this report, it was mentioned: On the other hand, the Ministry of Finance accuses the army of extravagant spending. Ilan Rome, the director general of this ministry, warned last week about the irregularities in the reserve system, which are “on the border of criminal violations”. Treasury officials argue that the current “spending spree” in the defense establishment may push Israel into a “decade of severe economic recession”—similar to the one that followed the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

However, Baram responded to the claims, saying: “The defense apparatus definitely needs to Learn lessons and improve productivity. However, after the Yom Kippur War, the defense budget was 35 percent of Israel’s GDP, compared to only 6.7 percent today. “Even with the current budget request, this share will reach about 5 percent in just two years.”

In response, the Ministry of Finance announced: “The Ministry of Finance has fully supported the efforts of the defense establishment over the past two years and will ensure that a full response is given to Israel’s security challenges.” Recently, a significant deviation from the budget framework approved for 2025 has been recorded. As a result, the Treasurer General, who is responsible for proper financial management, has issued a moratorium on new commitments that are not supported by an approved budget.

The ministry added: “The Ministry of Finance calls on the Ministry of Defense to finalize an agreed mechanism for financial commitments and oversight to ensure responsible management of the defense budget and sustained capability to meet security needs.”

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