Tel Aviv [ Israel ], March 25 (ANI/TPS): Israel Lawmakers ratified a state budget of approximately NIS 755 billion (USD 206 billion). Israel 'argest ever, following an extended meeting on Tuesday.

The budget cleared its final hurdles with a tally of 66 votes in favor and 52 against.

Addressing the Knesset At the plenum prior to the vote, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the budget "will foster growth and enable the Israel I aim to keep the economy robust and ensure ongoing prosperity.

He stated, "This is a war budget. With divine assistance, it shall also become the victory budget."

The approval process was delayed for many hours due to the large number of votes and reservations on particular items.

The administration faced pressure to complete the budgeting process before the legal cutoff at the month's end. According to legislation, the Knesset must approve a budget by March 31, otherwise the government will collapse automatically, leading to nationwide elections.

Following his discussion with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Prior to the meeting, officials from the United Torah Judaism party retreated from their threat to refuse supporting the budget due to attempts to conscript religious seminary students into the military.

The defense budget continues to be the biggest part, amounting to NIS 109.8 billion (USD 29.5 billion). Coming in second place is the Ministry of Education with an allocated sum of about NIS 92 billion (USD 24.7 billion), followed closely by the Ministry of Health which will get roughly NIS 59 billion (USD 15.8 billion).

Opposition leader Yair Lapid He referred to the budget as "the biggest theft in the nation's history." According to him, the government is "taking both the funds and the prospects for tomorrow." Israel For the middle-class, the productive segment of society, those who work, pay taxes, serve in the military, and whose children also serve in the military." (ANI/TPS)