New Prison Beds and Jobs: How Israel’s National Security Minister Secured Funding Amid Budget Controversy

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the National Security Minister, has secured funding for his department to build 936 new prison beds over a three-year period. The total funding for the program will amount to 536 million shekels. This was reported by The Marker.

Treasury officials insisted that the funds be sourced from Ben-Gvir’s department budget. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had proposed sequestering the budgets of all ministries about two weeks ago, sparking outrage among many cabinet members. After intense negotiations, a compromise decision was reached. Half of the program will be financed through the sequester, while the other half will come from the Defense Department budget.

In addition to financing the construction of new prison beds, Ben-Gvir’s department will also need to cover the costs of 225 new jobs in the Bureau of Prisons from its own budget. This decision comes after discussions and compromises were made to secure the necessary funding for the construction of new prison beds.