Overview
- The Knesset Finance Committee approved nearly NIS 250 million in budget transfers for Chareidi education in a session held Tuesday, with funding planned for teachers, transport and social programs.
- The package included first‑time full seniority funding for Chareidi kindergarten teachers so their pay reflects years of service and parity with other public kindergarten staff.
- A petition to the Supreme Court argued the Finance Committee’s deliberations were marred by procedural deficiencies in how the transfers were approved, and Justice Alex Stein issued a temporary injunction freezing the transfers except for civilian emergency spending.
- Justice Stein ordered an urgent hearing before a three‑justice panel and told respondents to file preliminary responses within 48 hours after the hearing date is set, signaling a fast legal timetable that will determine whether the funds can be disbursed.
- The pause leaves teachers, school networks and programs for at‑risk youth in limbo and turns the dispute into a political flashpoint led publicly by Finance Committee chair MK Moshe Gafni, with possible effects on coalition negotiations and future budget moves.