Minister for Settlement and National Missions Orit Strock (Religious Zionism) on Tuesday refuted criticism against her ministry's functioning as part of the current war, and of the 100 million shekels earmarked for activities to promote Jewish identity.

Speaking to Channel 12 News, Minister Strock began by saying: "The truth is that the budget now being approved by the Knesset includes NIS 30 billion for the current war, of which 17 billion are for military needs, and 13 billion for home front needs. Some of these are included in my Ministry’s budget, which serves the home front in an emergency. We have a budget for all the rural regions – for communities that were evacuated, as well as those that were not evacuated."

In response to the question of why the money is in her Ministry’s responsibility, Strock replied: "Why is the money with me? Because the members of the National Service, the settlement division that establishes prefab houses, the operational teams, are all with me. My ministry budgets for these communities. The settlement division is a partner in managing 'Tkuma,' it builds the future for them. This division is the only one that knows how to do it."

Minister Strock dismissed criticism of the budget for Jewish identity and stressed: "We have spoken about NIS 30 billion being added to the military budget and you are talking to me about NIS 100 million? Did you demand a cut in all other budgets that are not related to the war? Or are you only concerned with the Jewish identity budget? Until now I have not heard that the state budgets have been cut for many things that are not related to the war. They are not cutting this small amount either."

"Did you cut university budgets? Culture budgets? No. Why? Because at the end of the year, most of the budget had already been used up. In next year's budget, 2024, they will rethink the entire budget, and will cut a lot of extras. If it seems that cuts are also being made in other areas, for example, in 'increases of the Chief of Staff,' which are not stated in any law, and are lining the fat pockets of several reserve officers and multiplying the budget of my Jewish identity budget many times over, we will cut too."

In conclusion she criticized Keren Marciano, Channel 12’s economic reporter and said: "I will say something very unpleasant: your economic reporter, Keren Marciano, heard me, received all the data and simply did not bring the data to the studio. Why? Because there is an staged campaign planned by economics reporters from the Left and by the Finance officials against me."