Barak warns of coalition crisis if budget not expanded

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday warned of a coalition crisis if the budget is not expanded. "Only by means of an additional increase can Israel emerge from the economic crisis," he said at an Agritech conference in Tel Aviv. "If the Treasury doesn't internalize the need to increase the budget…we'll be in for an unnecessary crisis." "In the coming year we'll see the first signs of emergence from the [economic] crisis only if we act quickly and correctly," he added. "We must invest in infrastructure, agriculture and ensure a safety net for pensioners," continued Barak. "We need oxygen to set the wheels of the economy in motion and this requires creative policies that can be implemented quickly."