Israel’s settlements ministry received around $70 million from the coalition government [Getty]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government has allocated over $70 million to the ministry responsible for West Bank settlements, amid cuts to the budgets of other ministries.
Updates on the state budget provided by the Finance Ministry to the Knesset Finance Committee revealed that 268 million shekels ($73 million) were allocated for the Settlements and National Missions Ministry, Haaretz reported.
Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Ministry was allocated 90 million shekels ($24 million) and the Culture and Sports Ministry received 6.3 million shekels ($1.3 million).
Several lawmakers sharply criticised the ministry budget allocations during the Knesset Finance Committee session on Monday.
“[Released captive] Yarden Bibas is raising money through crowdfunding, and you’re distributing billions here. Have you lost all sense of shame? This is a greedy and detached government, and we can’t stand it anymore,” National Unity Party MK Orit Petetz said.
Yesh Atid MK Naor Shiri, meanwhile, said: “No government has ever carried out such extortion of the serving public and workers. Halt funds for these redundant and unnecessary ministries. Why aren’t you investing in projects that can lead to further growth?”
Israel’s Settlements and National Missions Ministry is headed by far-right minister Orit Strock, who hails from the same Religious Zionist Party as extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Smotrich, himself a West Bank settler, has staunchly opposed Israel’s ceasefire deal in Gaza and has called for the annexation of the West Bank and settlements in Gaza.
Approximately 380,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank, according to figures from Israeli human rights group B’tselem.Â
Settlements have continued to expand under successive Israeli governments, and are seen as a key obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
