Israel’s government approved NIS 2.6 billion ($840 million) in cuts to most civilian ministries on Sunday to pay for what it described as “urgent” defense purchases, nine days before the country’s scheduled October 27, 2026, parliamentary elections.
The reductions amount to approximately 4.9% to 5% of the flexible, day-to-day budgets available to most civilian government portfolios. The Education, Health, Welfare and Transportation ministries are among those affected.
State-owned Kan TV News reported that the money would finance what officials described as “urgent defense procurement.”
Officials have not disclosed what military equipment or services will be financed by the NIS 2.6 billion allocation or provided details about the security requirements behind the procurement. Israel’s defense budget currently stands at NIS 112 billion, making it the government’s largest budget item by far.
Government and security officials defended approving the additional funding shortly before the election, arguing that postponing the decision until a new government is formed could undermine Israel’s ability to meet essential security needs.
Coalition funds allocated to political parties in the government were excluded from the reductions. The exemption has drawn criticism from legal advisers and opposition members, who have argued that the government is protecting political allocations while reducing money available for public services.
The decision follows another reallocation earlier in the week involving roughly NIS 1 billion from a five-year development program for Israeli-Arab society. The money, originally designated for the program during 2027-2029, was redirected to finance the purchase of 12 Apache attack helicopters from Boeing.