From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Knesset committee approves tens of millions toward Haredi schools, education programs
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
The Knesset Finance Committee approves a package of budget transfers totaling tens of millions of shekels for ultra-Orthodox schools and educational programs, including summer activities in “exempt” institutions, salary increases for kindergarten teachers, and additional funds for the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party’s Chinuch Atzma’i (independent education) and the Shas party’s Ma’ayan Hachinuch Hatorani school systems.
The so-called “exempt” institutions, or private schools in Hebrew, receive about 55% of the amount of funding allocated to state schools, provided they teach 55% of the core curriculum that public schools are required to teach.
“Even in difficult times, with God’s help, we have now approved the essential budgets to ensure the continued operation of the educational institutions, for the benefit of the kindergarten teachers, the teachers, and the students,” says UTJ MK Moshe Gafni, a former chair of the Finance Committee who stepped down in July when his party left the coalition.
The committee has voted to implement these previously agreed-upon budget allocations to the ultra-Orthodox sector despite UTJ bolting the coalition and Shas leaving the government.
The Times of Israel Community.