Israeli Parliament Passes National Budget Amid Pushback and Stability Hopes.

The Israeli Knesset passed the 2023-2024 state budget along coalition lines, giving the Netanyahu government 18 months of runway before having to pass another budget or face snap elections. The budget has been criticized for channeling funds to sectoral interests but not doing enough to fight Israel’s rising cost of living. Thousands of protesters gathered in Jerusalem, waving Israeli flags and chanting against the government “looting” the state coffers. Opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed the state budget as “reckless” and setting up the next generation to be “poorer than their parents.”