Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu defended the government decision to cut the budget and raise taxes at a Knesset meeting on Wednesday. "You cannot spend on everything, you must choose," he stated. The Prime Minister said the cost of fighting forest fires, stopping the wave of illegal migrant infiltrators, and preventing terrorist attacks took precedence over other issues. He stressed the importance of balancing the budget. Netanyahu promised to to work to prevent budget cuts from affecting education and welfare.
A cabinet meeting dealing with economic issues is scheduled for Monday.