Ultra-Orthodox party said demanding additional NIS 627 million in funding

The Agudat Yisrael faction of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party is demanding an additional NIS 627 million ($171 million) in addition to money already allocated in the budget, Channel 12 reports.

Faction leaders, including Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, were meeting tonight with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asking for the money to cover retroactive cuts to ultra-Orthodox schools and subsidies to Yeshiva students.

The demand comes despite the fact that the state budget for the next two years passed today in the Knesset Finance Committee ahead of a Knesset vote next week.

The budget already includes NIS 13.7 billion ($3.7 billion) in discretionary funds promised to parties in coalition-forming negotiations. The spending package will see significant chunks go to ultra-Orthodox institutions and programs.