Coalition parties eye budget bonanza for yeshivas, settlements

The distribution of funds to coalition partners in the next state budget is expected to include an additional NIS 2.5 billion to support Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) yeshivas, NIS 125 million for Haredi Jewish culture, NIS 160 million for construction of buildings for religious purposes, another NIS 160 million for exempted Haredi schools From the national curriculum, and many other budgets to meet the demands of the coalition parties, most notably the provisions demanded by the ultra-Orthodox parties, Channel 12 News correspondent Keren Marziano reported yesterday evening.

Other items in the project for distributing funds to the spending of the coalition parties in favor of the Zionist Religious Party, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. For example, the Ministry of National Missions headed by Orit Struck of the Smotrich party will receive a series of budgets, among which will be 404 million shekels for the division of settlements, 100 million shekels for Jewish culture, shekels for Jewish identity, and many other items.

Along with Shas, United Torah Judaism and the Religious Zionist Party, the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was not deprived of coalition agreements. The draft distribution of coalition funds stipulates that 302 million shekels will be allocated to the Ministry of National Security in 2023 and 880 million Shekel in 2024 “for the purposes of developing a program to strengthen national security in order to strengthen security in the public space which will include, among other things, the strengthening and purchase of equipment and construction in the Israel Police and the expansion of the Border Police.”

Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on May 8, 2023.

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