Knesset Finance Committee Reviews Defense Budget and Disputed Slice Loan
The Knesset Finance Committee reviewed a 14.8 billion shekel defense boost and a disputed 13 million shekel loan for Slice Provident Funds amid missing financial reports.
The Knesset Finance Committee convened for a special session to discuss budget transfers, headlined by an urgent 14.8 billion shekel addition to the defense budget. Alongside security needs, the committee reviewed compensations and financial programs, as well as a contentious renewed loan request for Slice Provident Funds.
Budget Allocations and Slice Provident Loan
The Ministry of Finance requested approval for an additional 13 million shekel loan to Slice Provident Funds, coming on top of a 20 million shekel state loan already granted in 2025. If approved, total state-backed loans to the company would reach 33 million shekels. However, committee members questioned the urgency and justification of the loan, noting that the company's court-appointed administrator, Efi Sandrov, has not yet submitted the detailed expense and recovery reports demanded during previous discussions in July.
"The committee will not approve additional funds without receiving a comprehensive financial report detailing administrative expenses and actual funds returned to savers," emphasized committee members during the session.
Additional Social and Historical Allocations
In addition to the defense budget and the debated Slice loan, the financial package included smaller social allocations. The committee discussed transferring 2.5 million shekels for compensation payments to families of the Yemenite, Eastern, and Balkan children affair whose claims faced processing delays. Another 2.5 million shekels was allocated to the "Equal Opportunity" program, which provides economic counseling to credit-excluded populations after higher-than-expected demand exhausted original funding.
