Budget dispute stopping development of missile alerts, warn IDF sources

Home Front Defense Ministry says it approved budget for “urgent needs” 2 days after receiving request to transfer funds.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Yaalon at IDF Home Front Command’s base 370 (photo credit: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)
Yaalon at IDF Home Front Command’s base 370
(photo credit: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)
A budget dispute between the Home Front Command and the Home Front Defense Ministry has seen funds earmarked for the development of area-specific missile alerts negatively affected, IDF sources have said.
As first reported by Yediot Aharonot on Monday, Home Front Command head Maj.- Gen. Eyal Eizenberg sent a letter to the prime minister, defense minister and National Security Council head, in which he protested against what he described as a holdup in the transfer of funds by the Home Front Defense Ministry.
Following on from the letter, security sources told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that a part of the budget for the Home Front Command is decided in accordance with an arrangement between the ministries of Defense and Home Front Defense.
They added that, out of a commitment to public safety, Eizenberg sent out letters of protest when the funds failed to arrive.
Projects for developing techniques on delivering area-specific missile warnings were affected by the budget freeze, the sources said, such as text message warnings to cellphones and missile alerts delivered via digital television receivers.
“These projects have not yet been funded. To maintain operational continuity, they are required,” a source added.
The Home Front Defense Ministry said in response that it approved a budget for “urgent needs” two days after receiving a request to transfer the cash.
Additionally, a week ago, the ministry continued, “the remainder of the budget was approved. The approval was made in line with an examination carried out by the ministry’s director-general and the view of professionals.”
The ministry also criticized “elements in the defense establishment who have become accustomed to a situation in which they receive very large budgets, from public funds, without any monitoring, supervision and priority management.”
A spokesman for Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon declined to comment.