Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara announced today (Monday) the immediate suspension of funds amounting to hundreds of millions of shekels designated for Torah institutions and at-risk haredi youth. The funds had been approved overnight during a marathon voting session on the 2026 state budget.
Baharav-Miara described the coalition’s move as an unlawful attempt to circumvent Supreme Court rulings regarding military conscription.
During the night, haredi factions succeeded in passing a series of reservations (amendments) to the budget law, intended to ensure that coalition funds allocated to the haredi sector would be transferred directly to relevant programs within the Ministry of Education, instead of remaining in a “reserve" subject to legal approval and the Finance Committee.
In a strongly worded letter, the Attorney General clarified that the move is procedurally invalid. “Approving these reservations without legal and professional opinions constitutes an attempt to override steps taken to implement the court’s ruling on conscription, as well as rulings concerning benefits granted to draft evaders," she wrote.
She added that she had instructed professional officials in government ministries not to carry out the budget transfers in practice. According to her, the government is bound by Directive 1.1801, which requires a thorough legal review of any political agreement with budgetary implications-a requirement that was not met in this case.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid responded: “The overnight maneuver by the haredi parties has been invalidated-the money has been stopped. Following Yesh Atid’s appeal to the Attorney General, she ordered the halt of all the illegal funds approved overnight and is demanding further action against draft evaders. As I promised, you can rely on us. The celebrations of Aryeh Deri, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Bezalel Smotrich were premature. We will continue to fight for you. This money will not pass."
Chairman of Degel HaTorah, MK Moshe Gafni, responded: “The budget was lawfully approved last night with an unprecedented majority. Gali Baharav-Miara has no authority to intervene-this is criminal by any standard, and her hostility toward the haredi public is evident to all. Of the ten measures of hatred that descended upon the world, she took nine."
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