High Court issues temporary injunction against Shas food stamp program

7 September 2023, 5:41 pm

Edit

A young Jewish boy eats at the Yad Ezra V'Shulamit center in Jerusalem, which serves hot lunch every day to more than 1,200 children under the poverty line. September 27, 2011. (Uri Lenz/Flash90)

The High Court of Justice issues a temporary injunction against the Shas-run Interior Ministry’s food stamp program.

The ruling says that the injunction comes due to the fact that once rolled out, the program can’t be undone and orders the ministry to wait until the end of the legal proceedings.

The ministry had hoped to start issuing the stamps ahead of the Jewish New Year which starts next Friday evening.

The court notes that the injunction does not indicate any prior determination for or against the program.

The program is being challenged for appearing to prioritize Haredi families at the expense of others battling food insecurity.

Families with large numbers of children will be eligible to receive vouchers for NIS 2,400 ($639) per month, while some 12,000 Holocaust survivors and single parents will be left behind.

The program has long been associated with Shas leader Aryeh Deri, who made it a central part of his party’s campaign ahead of the November 2022 Knesset elections.