Just Before They Leave, the Coalition Refuses to Stop the Looting

The Knesset Finance Committee is expected to approve a budget transfer of about 100 million shekels to the Ministry of Religious Services. The funds are intended for support for rabbis, development of cemeteries, reimbursement of expenses for Operation 'Roar of the Lion', and more. The opposition's coordinator on the committee, MK Vladimir Beliak, attacked the move and claimed that the coalition 'refuses to stop the looting'.

The Knesset Finance Committee is expected to convene this week to approve a budget transfer of about 100 million shekels to the Ministry of Religious Services. According to the request, the funds are intended, among other things, to complete the budgeting of support for rabbis in settlements and in Kais, budgeting for the Center for Holy Places, development of cemeteries, reimbursement of the ministry for expenses of Operation 'Roar of the Lion', and implementation of Government Decision 4320. In the distribution, 8.5 million shekels are expected to go to religious councils for the salaries of clergy, 26.8 million shekels for religious services, about 24.9 million shekels for cemetery development, 17.3 million shekels for salaries and operation of the ministry, and 18 million shekels for rabbinical courts. The request was prepared by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The opposition attacked the move; the opposition's coordinator on the Finance Committee, MK Vladimir Beliak (Yesh Atid), wrote that 'just before they go home, the Netanyahu-Haredi coalition refuses to stop the looting'.