AG halts transfer of funds given to Haredi institutions in contentious overnight vote

Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara halts the transfer of some NIS 800 million ($252 million) to ultra-Orthodox educational institutions approved in a controversial parliamentary maneuver last night.

The allocation of the funds was inserted by the coalition into a legislative amendment to the budget. Since almost all amendments are submitted by the opposition, opposition MKs mistakenly voted in favor of the funds.

Baharav-Miara says that it appears the coalition sought to approve the funds in this manner in order to circumvent a ruling by the High Court of Justice barring the state from providing benefits to students in ultra-Orthodox yeshivas who have refused to obey conscription orders.

Senior United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni rails at the attorney general over her decision, calling it “criminal” and accusing her of hating the ultra-Orthodox.

“The budget was approved last night in accordance with the law, with an unprecedented majority. Gali Baharav-Miara has no authority to intervene; this is criminality by any standard and her hatred towards the ultra-Orthodox public is visible to all. Ten measures of hatred descended upon the world and she took nine of them,” Gafni storms, in an allusion to a rabbinic saying.

Leader of the Opposition and Yesh Atid chairman MK Yair Lapid welcomes the move, calling the allocation “illegal” and celebrations of the vote “premature.”

Says Lapid, “We will continue to fight for you. This money will not be transferred.”