The political-security cabinet today approved the multiyear defense budget, on the basis of the Brodet committee recommendations. The committee recommended a defense budget of NIS 50.3 billion in 2009, NIS 50.8 billion in 2010, NIS 51.2 billion in 2011, and NIS 52.2 billion in 2012.
The cabinet approved the budget, even though Minister of Finance Ronnie Bar-On had hinted that there was room to cut back the Brodet committee recommendations. At a recent cabinet meeting he said, "There will be no alternative from choosing among all the issues that the government has undertaken. It will be necessary, among other things, to decide whether or not we went too far in the defense budget framework we undertook in the Brodet committee."
There were also reports that the Ministry of Finance wanted to cut NIS 2 billion from the 2009 defense budget.
At today's cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the government was committed to the Brodet committee recommendations, which had been already approved in full.
The Ministry of Finance said in response that after the Knesset debated and approved the 2009 budget, it would be possible to discuss the defense budget.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 25, 2008
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