Cutbacks in government funding for security in Judea and Samaria could have serious repercussions, Gush Etzion Regional Council chief Shlomo Ne’eman warned Tuesday morning.
Following a series of protests by security guards in Judea and Samaria in response to salary cuts announced by the security establishment, Ne’eman called on the government to reverse the spending cuts, and restore the previous level of funding for security guards.
"We must provide the security guards with the full wages they deserve. They work hard day and night maintaining security in Gush Etzion and all of Judea and Samaria, and we must not reach a situation where budgetary shortages will lead to a security failure. Lessons from the past must be learned, and we must be prepared for any security-related scenario. I call on the government to immediately resolve the issue involving security guards in Judea and Samaria.”
Faced with a rising deficit, which hit an average of 3.8% of GDP for the 12-month period ending in May, the interim government led by Binyamin Netanyahu has pushed for across-the-board spending cuts. With expenditures rising, the deficit had been projected to hit 4.5% of GDP later this year.
On Monday, the cabinet approved a series of budget cuts, trimming 1.2 billion shekels ($333 million) in spending.