Lapid, Ya'alon cooperate ahead of of budget cuts

Defense minister and finance minister agree to set up joint working group to help determine size of new defense budget.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Lapid at Knesset 370 (photo credit: Uriel Sinai/Reuters)
Lapid at Knesset 370
(photo credit: Uriel Sinai/Reuters)
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Finance Minister Yair Lapid agreed on Thursday to set up a joint working group to help determine the size of the defense budget for 2013 and 2014.
The announcement came following a meeting between the two ministers at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.
The agreement is a reflection of the “complex economic situation in light of the deficit on the one hand, and the importance of security needs in light of threats and regional changes on the other,” a statement by Ya’alon’s bureau said.
A cut to the annual NIS 60 billion defense budget is expected, possibly of over NIS 2b.
Ya’alon has in recent days stressed his view that funds available for defense research and development must not be touched.