Treasury orders freeze to Foreign Ministry expenditures abroad

In an unprecedented move, the Finance Ministry’s accountant-general ordered the Foreign Ministry to freeze expenditures in its representations abroad because of severe budgetary problems.

As a result of the Treasury’s directive, Foreign Ministry Accountant-General Yossi Strauss issued a directive to the country’s ministries and consulates to cease almost all of their activities and stop approving new expenditures. Strauss wrote that the move comes against the background of massive gaps between the ministry’s budget and its current expenditures.

The Foreign Ministry issued a response saying this move will essentially freeze Israeli diplomatic action abroad at a time of huge challenges the country is facing vis-a-vis Iran and its proxies, and just before the United Nations General Assembly meeting due to begin at the end of the month.

“There is no argument that the deficit is deep, something which we have been warning about continuously, but this is the result of underfunding the ministry from the start,” the statement said.

“This is an unprecedented case in which Treasury officials paralyze a government ministry without any discussion, thereby severely damaging the State of Israel’s foreign relations. The foreign minister is working to resolve the crisis. We hope that the activities of the ministry which are vital to national security and Israel’s international status will return to normal.”