Following a marathon debate, and after all the reservations were rejected, the Knesset plenum overnight Wednesday passed the 2019 State Budget and the accompanying Economic Arrangements Law in their second and third readings.

The budget passed its third and final reading by a vote of 62 to 54.

The budget will stand at 479.6 billion shekels, an increase of 4.3% compared to the 2018 budget, and an increase of 24.9% compared to the 2015 budget. The projected growth for 2019 will be 3.1%.

(Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon)

“This is the most social budget in the state’s history, which reflects our social values and our national priorities,” Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said prior to the voting. The budget, he said, “projects to the entire world that the Israeli economy is one of the most stable and strongest economies in the world.”

“This budget belongs to everyone, and every person who lives in the State of Israel will benefit from it,” Minister Kahlon stated. “It does not belong only to those who were born with money; it does not belong to those who are more observant or less observant; to those who (have lived in Israel a long time) or to new immigrants; it does not belong to the coalition or to the opposition; it belongs to every citizen of the State of Israel.”

Opposition leader MK (Machane Tzioni) Yitzchak Herzog said passing the 2019 budget in March of 2018 “shows a lack of serious and perhaps a lack of faith in the government itself.”

“It all stems from a political whim,” he added. “Anyone who has been a member of any government knows how ridiculous it is.”

Finance Committee Chairman MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Moshe Gafni said, “This budget is the first budget I can remember that does not include any cuts – a budget that ultimately has very positive things. This budget is a budget that greatly increases the health budget. It raises the education budget, it raises the defense budget, it raises the welfare budget, it raises budgets on an unprecedented scale, and it lowers taxes.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)