🩺 NEW ASHDOD REHABILITATION CENTER: Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram toured the recently inaugurated Beit Halochem in Ashdod with IDF Disabled Veterans Organization Chairman attorney Idan Kleiman and senior ministry rehabilitation and planning officials.
The facility includes a therapeutic swimming pool, modern sports facilities and a dedicated wing for people coping with post-traumatic stress. The visit came as the ministry implements its rehabilitation strategy and the government’s decision to adopt the Mor-Yosef Committee’s recommendations.
Baram said: “Our test as a country is measured not only by building our defense capabilities, but also by the strength of the support framework we provide to those who have paid with their bodies and souls.”
He said the center combines therapeutic innovation, personalized care and a supportive environment. The ministry will continue working with the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization to expand services and provide accessible, respectful care for every wounded man and woman.
▪️ RABBI OVADIA YOSEF MEMORIAL CANCELED: The memorial event for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has officially been canceled following controversy over the Attorney General’s directive.
🛡️ KATZ SEEKS OPPOSITION SUPPORT FOR ADDITIONAL IDF FUNDING: Defense Minister Israel Katz called on Opposition Leader Yair Lapid to support additional IDF funding through agreed Knesset legislation, warning that delays could directly affect military readiness and civilian security.
Katz said the money is needed to increase reservist payments, maintain security zones protecting border communities, procure munitions, restore readiness for the continuation of the campaign and expand Israeli-made defensive and offensive capabilities through domestic defense industries.
“We are facing dramatic security challenges that require decisions and action now,” Katz said. “The regional reality does not allow us to wait: the threats are evolving, our enemies continue to act, and we must ensure that the IDF is prepared and equipped for any development.”
Katz argued that the request should be separated from wider political disputes over the state budget. He said the funds are available in the treasury and require formal Knesset legislation, with no connection to tax increases or other budget items.
He recalled that Lapid, as opposition leader during the COVID-19 pandemic, pledged to support pandemic spending measures while Katz was finance minister. Katz criticized the absence of similar support during a military campaign he said had achieved “tremendous accomplishments on all fronts,” while still having objectives to complete.
Gadi Eisenkot said: “The IDF has been warning for years about shortages in munitions, but an irresponsible political leadership has ignored those warnings. Lapid is right. If Netanyahu’s government wants a solution, it should turn off the tap of coalition funds.”
A separate response, whose author was not identified, disputed Lapid’s budget claims. It argued that government economic policy had produced higher-than-expected revenues and a lower-than-expected deficit, allowing defense spending to rise without tax increases. It also said the amounts Lapid attributed to coalition funding and ultra-Orthodox budgets had never been allocated, or approached, and accused him of allowing political considerations to override security needs.
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