Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich left a cabinet meeting following a confrontation regarding the delay in purchasing F-15 and F-35 aircraft from the US, Israeli media reported Thursday.
In a statement, Smotrich wrote, "I left the cabinet meeting early, as the Defense Minster and IDF Chief of Staff refused to establish a public committee to examine the defense budget."
"Since the professional elements of the Finance Ministry were not invited to the discussion, and since it was an attempt to cynically bypass the discussion in the defense budget review committee, I announced that it can be discussed next week with the professional elements, and until then I'm wasting my time," the statement noted.