Israeli Finance Minister Defends Controversial Settlement Funds Amid War Effort

The decision to allocate funds for West Bank settlements in the midst of war sparks criticism from coalition partners and international figures, raising concerns about Israel's international support.

• Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is refusing to divert funds for West Bank settlements to the war effort, causing a rift with his coalition partners.
• The current budget includes a 900 million shekels (£191 million) portion for the development of illegal settlements in the West Bank, as well as 200 million for education and cultural projects for the country’s ultra-Orthodox community.
• Opposition parties and War Cabinet minister Benny Gantz have criticized Smotrich's spending on controversial projects, arguing it harms national resilience and unity.
• EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, expressed his disapproval of the Israeli government's commitment to new funds towards West Bank settlements in the middle of a war, calling it a grave breach of international human rights law.
• The budget dispute comes at a sensitive time as Israel seeks to mobilize international support for the war in Gaza, and the continual expansion of Jewish settlements into land the Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state has caused unease among countries friendly to Israel.

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