Finance Minister Silvan Shalom will announce today an across-the-board budget cut of 2.5% in all government ministries, as well as the controversial freezing of the Negev and child-allowance laws. Residents of the Negev threaten severe repercussions, and even closed off many highways to their cities today, while coalition parties Shas and United Torah Judaism threaten to vote against the budget if the monthly child allowances for families with many children are not increased. Interest rates will drop by 2%, in accordance with an announcement today by Bank of Israel Governor David Klein.