Minister Benny Gantz and his National Unity faction threatened to cause a crisis in Israel's emergency war government in a demand to cancel the suggested changes to a proposed wartime budget.

The government is set to review Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's budgetary plan later on Monday. Some of the points of contention raised by Gantz included the NIS 500 million raise in funding for yeshivas and NIS 400 million set aside for Orit Struck's National Missions Ministry, whose contribution to Israel's war efforts was unclear.

Smotrich's planned wartime budget, sources close to Gantz said, are "akin to a poke in the Israeli public's eye."

Gantz sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday night, urging him to put a stop to Smotrich's plans. "As made clear in our meeting on November 23, my faction and I will vote against plans to move funds to non-war related efforts," he wrote in the letter.

"These plans will hurt Israel's resilience and the unity among its people," Gantz further claimed.

Netanyahu pushing through wartime budget

Netanyahu released a statement later on Sunday night confirming the government's intent to push Smotrich's plans through in the cabinet meeting. Despite Gantz's disapproval, Netanyahu's government still has a majority to pass Smotrich's war budget without needing Gantz or his ministers' fingers.

Sources close to Gantz added that, despite the disagreements, the minister had "entered the government out of national responsibility, we will not leave it now."