From the Liveblog of
Saturday, March 1, 2025
Lapid accuses gov’t of corruption after reported transfer of $370 million yeshivas, $60 million to settlers
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid accuses the government of “corruption” after national broadcaster Kan reports that it is set to transfer 1.3 billion shekels ($370 million) for yeshiva budgets and NIS 217 million ($60 million) for Orit Strock’s Settlements and National Missions Ministry, which Finance Ministry officials have dubbed superfluous.
“Taxes could be lowered for the middle class, but the government continues with corruption,” Lapid tweets. “This week’s loot: 1.3 billion shekels for the yeshiva budget to encourage evasion, 217 million for Strock’s unnecessary office, 122 million for Shas and United Torah Judaism’s [school] networks.”
According to Kan, the funds, which include NIS 50 million ($13.8 million) for far-right politician Avi Maoz’s Jewish National Identity Authority, are part of a 5 billion shekel ($1.3 billion) transfer of coalition funds slated to be carried out in the coming days.
The Times of Israel Community.