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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Barak 'proud' to be part of budget vote ; Finance minister: Budget will help Israel overcome crisis

(Ynet).Defense Minister Ehud Barak said following the approval of the State budget that he "congratulates Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, who have done very important things by meeting us halfway. The Labor party is proud of its partnership in this important move".

Barak added, "The defense budget is needed to properly address all the security and political challenges facing us. The defense establishment and the IDF will continue to be efficient."

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz expressed his satisfaction with the approval of the State budget on Wednesday. "I am pleased that we achieved our goal and formed a package deal with the industrialists and the Histadrut," he said.

Steinitz claimed that the budget could "prevent tens of thousands of additional employees from losing their workplace and create growth in the Israeli market aimed at overcoming from the economic crisis".