This week, the government submitted the proposed State Budget Law for 2026 to the Knesset, accompanied by the Arrangements Law, after a significant delay and in violation of the legally mandated timelines. According to the law, failure to approve the budget in its second and third readings by March 31 will automatically lead to the dissolution of the Knesset and the calling of early elections.

The submission of the budget comes amid political bargaining, as Haredi parties have conditioned their support for the budget on the passage of a law granting exemption from military service. This reflects the sidelining of social and economic priorities in the budget-drafting process.

Mossawa Center emphasizes that Arab society requires approximately 40 billion shekels in development budgets to close long-standing structural gaps in infrastructure. Despite this, the government proposes cutting 2.5 billion shekels from Plan 550 budgets, which are designated for the development of roads, public transportation, construction of classrooms, waste management, and improvements to sewage systems.

These cuts come at a time when 58% of Arab families are experiencing food insecurity, while only 10% enjoy high levels of food security. The budget also includes additional cuts to education, social welfare, employment programs, and transportation, which are expected to further deepen poverty and unemployment.

Mossawa Center warns that these policies constitute systematic economic discrimination and calls for utilizing the parliamentary debate to fully restore development budgets and ensure their investment in infrastructure and essential services as a prerequisite for economic justice and equality.