Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael Political NewsThe prime minister has asked that the funds be added to a planned $117 billion addition to Israel's defense spending over the next 13 years, after it had already received repeated boosts since war broke out on October 7, 2023Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeSami Peretz02:47 PM • August 08 2026 IDTPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Israel's Finance Ministry to increase a proposed 13-year boost to the defense budget from 350 billion to 400 billion shekels ($117 to $133 billion), demanding the funds be allocated before the upcoming October election.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Israeli politicsBenjamin NetanyahuBezalel SmotrichIsraeli budgetCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesWest BankYoav SegalovitzMichigan PrimaryQalandiyahElection PollsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastNetanyahu Seeks $17 Billion Added to Planned 13-year Military Spending BoostWhy Secular Tech Workers Are Fleeing JerusalemShe Never Served in the Israeli Army. Her Heroine Is an Angry SoldierEx-Netanyahu Aide: Staff Were Asked to Pledge Personal Loyalty to PM's FamilyEmerging Middle East Pact Seen in Israel as Sign of Waning U.S. InfluenceRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHow Israel's Elbit Armed the United Arab EmiratesIsrael Captured 230 Square Miles of Lebanon, Razed Villages and Built New BasesIt's No Wonder Israelis Want War. Violence Has Become a Source of JoyHow a Teen, Not a Journalist, Debunked Israel's Gaza 'Voluntary Emigration' PlanFormer Mossad Chief Appointed to Lead U.S. Defense Technology CompanyAs Stevens Falters, Michigan Jews Ponder Their Place in the Democratic Party