Friday, February 15, 2013

The High Cost Of Israel's Defense Budget

An IDF soldier during a military drill, Ramat Hagolan, Israel, Sept. 19, 2012. Photo by IDF Spokesman

Israel Shells Out Almost A Fifth Of National Budget On Defense, Figures Show -- Haaretz

State spending is more than six times what industrialized nations and Arab countries drop, on average; in 2011, defense cost the Israeli economy about NIS 66.8 billion – more than 50% on salaries.

Almost a fifth of Israel's budget went on defense in 2009, according to a new report. The country is spending far more than other industrialized nations on security, with over half those costs going on salary expenses.

Israel also spends proportionally more on defense than any other country in the Middle East. That's according to a Central Bureau of Statistics report published this week, surveying Israel’s defense expenditure between 1950 and 2011. Even Turkey and Iran, which consider themselves military powerhouses, spent proportionately less.

Read more ....

My Comment
: Considering the alternative (a low defense budget).... do the Israelis really have a choice?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The alternative is a One State peace agreement between the Palestinians and Israelites, with the right of return of person and property.

The current Two State solution is an utter unredemptive failure for both peoples.