The finance minister said he would not cut the budget for settlers or haredim.
"I'll demand a NIS 2-3 billion cut in the defense budget. We'll use the money for social purposes," Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz told Hebrew daily "Yediot Ahronot" in an interview, lowering expectations about the Trajtenberg team's recommendations, which are due to be submitted later this month.
Asked if he would divert budgets from settlers and haredim (ultra-orthodox) for social purposes, Steinitz said, "No and no. We've invested heavily in the settlements in the past, but these investments stopped in the past two years. Today, the settlers are discriminated against to some degree. That's even more true for the haredim. Every penny invested in job encouragement for the haredim promotes social justice."
Steinitz added that he would not apply differential VAT levels for different goods and services.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 8, 2011
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