High Court freezes controversial Knesset committee transfer of funds for Haredi schools, Settlements Ministry

By Jeremy Sharon

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5 August 2026, 12:43 pm

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Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter

Finance Committee chair MK Hanoch Milwidsky, right, speaks with MKs Moshe Gafni, center, and Yitzhak Pindrus during a Knesset Finance Committee meeting in Jerusalem, August 4, 2026, at which additional funding was approved for Haredi education. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The High Court of Justice freezes the transfer of hundreds of millions of shekels in budgetary allocations made by the Knesset Finance Committee yesterday to ultra-Orthodox schools, the Settlements Ministry and the Religious Services Ministry due to what it says were “apparent procedural flaws” in the convening of the committee itself.

The temporary court order freezes the transfer of all funds allocated in yesterday’s hearing, apart from those for emergency civilian expenses.

The court says the issue will be brought for a hearing in front of three justices “as soon as possible.”

Opposition parties objected strenuously to holding the committee hearing and transferring the funds during the recess between Knesset terms, since the Knesset was dissolved last month and a national election set for October 27.

In yesterday’s hearing, NIS 267 million ($88 million) was approved for Haredi education including more than NIS 12.5 million ($4 million) for Haredi culture and some NIS 26 million ($8.5 million) for preventing Haredim from dropping out of yeshivas.

The committee also voted to give the Settlements Ministry NIS 157 million ($52 million) in direct funding as well as NIS 142 million ($47 million) in commitment authorizations for previously approved budget items.