Knesset committee allocates additional NIS 780 million to Israel's defense budget

The Knesset Finance Committee allocated an additional NIS 780 million to Israel's defense budget, which came at the expense of other government offices such as welfare and housing. The addition will bring the defense system's expenditure ceiling from NIS 59.93 billion to NIS 60.7 billion. Members of the committee did not receive details specifying the purposes for which the additional money will be used. The decision was approved after the government coalition recruited several Knesset members in order to secure a majority. Opposition MKs denounced the large increase in the defense budget and demanded an explanation for the move.