A bill to increase the National Insurance Institution tax passed a vote in the Knesset Welfare Committee, overcoming an attempt to block it. The bill is part of the annual Economic Arrangements Bill, which accompanies the state budget. It includes provisions to raise the National Insurance Institution tax and freeze public sector salaries in 2025. The bill's advancement is a blow to National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, who opposes the budget due to concerns about his ministry's budget. The bill will now proceed to the Knesset plenum for its second and third reading.