Netanyahu and Liberman
Netanyahu and LibermanAmos Ben Gershon/GPO

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman have requested that the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and other organizations help the state fill gaps in the defense budget, according a report by Channel 1.

According to the report, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister have asked the organizations to help raise NIS 4 billion ($1.14 billion) for defense.

The report quoted Netanyahu's bureau chief Yoav Horowitz as saying: "The Israeli government, and especially the various security forces, reached the conclusion that the State of Israel needs an additional NIS 4 billion. I will only talk about what you all know, including the Iranian threat and the threat in the north - all of this brings the security forces to request another NIS 4 billion."

"The prime minister, the defense minister and the security forces are deliberating this dilemma and trying to stretch the budget blanket to see where the funds can be raised," Horowitz said in a conversation with the directorate of the JNF.

According to the report, there has been no progress in attempts to transfer funds from the JNF, which deals with land reclamation, parks and forestation, to the defense budget.

Yesterday (Tuesday), the Defense Ministry announced a new plan to increase and upgrade security in Judea and Samaria which was estimated to cost NIS 3.3 billion ($940 million). No funding has been allocated towards the plan and the government is trying to find a way to finance it.