Israel approves NIS 143 billion ($45.8B) defense budget for 2026 — plus NIS 350B decade plan

Israel's Joint Committee for the Defense Budget unanimously approved the 2026 defense budget of NIS 143 billion ($45.8 billion), plus NIS 22 billion in income-dependent expenditure (including American aid) and NIS 82.2 billion ($26.3 billion) in commitment authorizations for future spending. The Defense Ministry's Rehabilitation Department will receive NIS 10 billion ($3.2 billion) for wounded veterans, and the Families and Commemoration Department NIS 2.7 billion ($865 million). In parallel, the National Security Council and Finance and Defense ministries are finalizing a decade-long force-building plan from 2027 — NIS 350 billion ($112 billion) total, of which NIS 50 billion comes from internal efficiency measures. The budget does not require Knesset plenum approval (unlike the rest of the state budget) due to its sensitive content regarding IDF structure and capabilities. The scale confirms Israel is budgeting for a prolonged, large-scale war posture with massive rehabilitation and veterans commitments.