Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday announced his support for the military's demand for a 3.3 billion shekel ($966 million) increase in the defense budget, despite the economic crisis triggered by the coronavirus epidemic.
Netanyahu has instructed the Finance Ministry to work with the IDF and the National Security Council to bring together funding sources to provide for additional defense spending, a statement by the Prime Minister's Office said.
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The supplemental budget would be used to fund "routine military operations, the reinforcement of the security barrier which separates Israel from the Gaza Strip, as well as other missions which cannot be postponed," the statement said.
Netanyahu stressed the importance of allowing the defense establishment to maintain stability given the "dynamic security challenges in the region."
Israel's government has been under intense pressure to address the economic fallout that has plagued the private sector since the coronavirus pandemic hit Israel in mid-March, triggering unprecedented unemployment.
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