Israel is facing an impending economic catastrophe that could burden the state with insurmountable debt for generations to come, Knesset State Control Committee chairman MK Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid) said, calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately resign from power with our without elections.
Levy criticized the prime minister for prioritizing personal survival over the welfare of Israel, stating, "He only thinks of himself. All of his moves are designed to preserve his own survival, and these far outweigh the decisions he's made for the benefit of the state." He further claims that even within the Likud Party, there is widespread dissatisfaction with Netanyahu's conduct, asserting that he has caused heavy damage to the party.
The Yesh Atid lawmaker called for a state commission of inquiry to be established ahead of elections in order to urgently investigate what Levy considers to be the biggest failure in Israeli history. According to him, Netanyahu can't continue as prime minister after a failure of this magnitude.
A disastrous budget for Israel set to cause insurmountable debt
Expressing concern over the state budget, Levy accused it of "looting" funds for unnecessary purposes, and that this was not exclusive to all the money earmarked for Israel's haredi (ultra-Orthodox) sector. He stressed the importance of equal opportunities in education and criticized the inclusion of unnecessary expenditures, such as allocating over NIS 600 million for promoting Jewish identity.
Levy predicted that the 2024 budget will worsen Israel's economic situation, burdening future generations with insurmountable debts. He warned that Israel's GDP will decrease, the deficit will soar, and external debt will continue to rise.
The lawmaker suggested closing at least 10 ministries that he deemed to be redundant, especially during times of war when every shekel should be directed towards the war with Hamas.