Israel's IDF pushes for $50 billion defense budget boost amid war spending clash

The Israel Defense Forces have asked the government to raise the defence budget from 144 billion shekels ($38.9 bn) to between 183 billion and 188 billion shekels ($49.5‑$50.8 bn) to cover operations on multiple fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and Yemen. The Finance Ministry called the request “excessive and illogical,” warning that the extra spending could force deep cuts to civilian ministries, strain the state’s credit rating and require reductions in the reserve force.

A separate internal IDF document highlighted a shortfall of about 40 billion shekels ($11.1 bn), prompting the military to delay procurement, scale back training and infrastructure projects, and freeze non‑essential expenses. Reserve numbers, which once peaked at 120,000, have fallen to roughly 64,000, well short of the 40,000 target. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to decide on the funding request in the coming days. The budget debate also coincides with a 1.6 billion‑shekel ($537 m) aid package for the domestic software sector.