Drama in the Finance Committee: Clash Between Shas and Smotrich Halts Transfers of Hundreds of Millions
The Finance Committee approved only 19 out of 33 budget items after a fierce clash between Shas and Smotrich. The transfers, totaling hundreds of millions of shekels, were primarily intended for the Haredi and religious sectors. The opposition celebrated the halt of the maneuver.
Drama in the Finance Committee: a fierce clash between Shas and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich halted budget transfers totaling hundreds of millions of shekels. The committee approved only 19 out of 33 items, after Smotrich opposed transfers mainly intended for the Haredi and religious sectors. Among the blocked items: 26.1 million shekels for a dropout prevention program in yeshivas, 16.1 million shekels for increasing daycare subsidies to 100% in recognized institutions, 30.3 million shekels for unique characteristics of the state-religious education system, 12.5 million shekels for support of Jewish culture, about 69 million shekels for the "Bnei Yosef - Ma'ayan Hachinuch Hatorani" and independent education institutions, and 54 million shekels for kindergarten teachers in recognized but unofficial education. Additionally, it was revealed that a seemingly general item of 770,000 shekels for pre-elementary advancement was directed exclusively to Haredi kindergartens. The opposition celebrated: "We stopped the maneuver."