Photo: Menahem KAHANA / AFPSource: AFPThousands of Israelis on Tuesday protested the allocation of funds to ultra-Orthodox Jews in the government's proposed state budget. The grant was part of a last-minute deal with United Torah Judaism, one of the ultra-Orthodox coalition parties, to ensure their support for the budget. It is in addition to other allocations traditionally made to ultra-Orthodox communities in various ministerial budget allocations. Opposition head Yair Lapid said the budget was "destructive" as it included monies to ultra-Orthodox Jews that discourage them from taking a more active part in Israeli economy. "We are approving a responsible budget, a budget that keeps the fiscal framework, a budget that is being praised by rating agencies," Netanyahu told his coalition partners.

Source: Daily Nation May 24, 2023 02:12 UTC