Israel’s Foreign Ministry has advised its offices and embassies locally and abroad to immediately cease all activity due to a budget shortfall, according to an internal directive sent out, obtained by Amichai Stein, diplomatic correspondent at Israel’s Kan public broadcasting network.
: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed its offices & embassies abroad (and here in Israel) to cease all activity due to shortage of money pic.twitter.com/LKGmuJ1S6m
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1)
According to the directive, the Finance Ministry’s accountant general ordered the new guidelines due to a “very large gap” between the ministry expenditures and its approved budget.
“During this sensitive time, when faced with diplomatic and strategic challenges, first and foremost among them the threat by Iran and its proxies, and on the eve of a UN General Assembly, the Foreign MInistry and its missions abroad will be almost entirely paralyzed,” the ministry warned in its statement.
“Cessation of all expenditures” includes extreme limits on travel of diplomats even in Jerusalem, as well as around the world, according to the Kan public broadcasting network.
