PM Binyamin Netanyahu and Moshe Kahlon
PM Binyamin Netanyahu and Moshe KahlonKobi Gideon, GPO

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday afternoon opened a Knesset meeting by praising Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) for his "excellent budget."

"After seeking advice from myself and other ministers, the Finance Minister brings to us today a budget proposal, as well as the Arrangements Law," Netanyahu said. "This is a good, even excellent budget, it's a good Arrangements Law, excellent. It's lean and concise, it doesn't overdo it, and it still fits our policies. It's both things together."

The Arrangements Law is a government-sponsored bill presented annually to the Knesset together with the state budget. It includes government bills and legislative amendments necessary for fulfilling the government's economic policy.

"The budget includes important points which will ensure economic growth, a reduction in the cost of living, and a reduction in regulations. The Arrangements Law improves services provided to Israeli citizens, and expresses our social policies in a fashion which provides for every social group, including the disabled, seniors, and low-salaried workers.... This will help the private sector generate money, and will ensure money is divided in an intelligent fashion and goes towards Israel's national needs. The Arrangements Law will include a reform in registering business, in the media market, remove obstructions to importing items for personal use, and make it easier to import engineers for the fields of hi-tech and educational technology."

Regarding the social aspects, Netanyahu said, "We are starting a new path, and for the first time paying out 2 billion NIS ($584,580) to raise the disability stipend. We will enlarge the negative income tax grants, and we will raise the pensions of disabled seniors and continue helping young families by subsidizing afternoon programs and reducing income tax. This has been our policy over the years: To provide an infrastructure to allow firms to ensure economic growth, and through this to provide funds for the State's needs. This will also....give us the abilities to raise the security and social needs.

"There can be no social policy without an economic policy, and there can be no security policy without an economic policy. Without an economic policy, we cannot provide for society's needs, or for security needs. This government is here to work, and it will continue working well until the end of its term, in November 2019. I want to thank my friend, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, for his hard work on this budget proposal and Arrangements Law proposal, as well as his staff and my staff, who together did excellent work. It is obvious that we have a few more things to iron out, but this budget and Arrangements Law will pass in the end."