The Knesset on Wednesday approved the 2019 state budget by a vote of 62-54. At 497.6 billion shekels ($144.8 billion), it is the highest state budget on record.
After the vote, the Knesset broke up for its spring recess and will reconvene in June.
Before the vote, the opposition filed some 3,000 objections to various articles in the budget bill. However, after negotiations with the Knesset's House Committee, it was agreed the plenum would debate only 350 of them.
The 2019 budget includes NIS 100 billion ($29 billion) in debt repayments, as well as a lateral cut in all the ministries' budgets totaling NIS 5 billion ($1.45 billion).
The defense budget was set at NIS 55 billion ($16 billion). Together with U.S. defense aid, arms sales revenues and the sale of ministry-owned real estate, the defense budget will ultimately amount to NIS 73 billion ($21 billion).
In addition, the budget for intelligence services was set at NIS 9.6 billion ($2.8 billion).
The Education Ministry's budget was set at NIS 60 billion ($17.5 billion); the Health Ministry received NIS 40 billion ($11.6 billion); the Justice Ministry received NIS 3.8 billion ($1.1 billion), and the Labor and Social Services Ministry received NIS 3.56 billion ($1 billion).
The Culture and Sports Ministry and the Science and Technology Ministry each received a budget of NIS 2.23 billion ($650 million).
The Religious Services Ministry received a budget of NIS 736 million ($214 million). In addition, earlier this week, the government approved an additional NIS 50 million ($14.5 million) for religious seminaries and an increase of NIS 40 million ($11.6 million) in funding for ultra-Orthodox educational institutions.
The Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee was allotted NIS 495 million ($144 million).
The Prime Minister's Office's budget was set at NIS 2.44 billion ($710 million), including NIS 115.7 million ($33.6 million) earmarked for the National Cyber Bureau.
The Knesset's budget was set at NIS 795.3 million ($231.5 million).
The deficit goal for 2019 was set at 2.9% of gross domestic product. This is projected to drop to 2.5% in 2020.
Among the reforms in the 2019 budget are initiatives to ease the high cost of living, housing and banking reforms, a national nursing plan, an incentive plan to boost workforce participation, and a plan to reduce the number of government ministries.
