The Knesset Finance Committee is set to vote on Tuesday on transferring hundreds of millions of shekels to Haredi and settler interests despite a legislative recess that started last month.

The agenda posted on the committee’s website shows it will vote on requests by the Prime Minister’s Office and Education Ministry to amend the 2026 state budget to include a slew of cash infusions, including over NIS 100 million ($32.75 million) for the Settlements Ministry and NIS 200 million ($65.5 million) for Haredi schools.

Opposition lawmakers on the Finance Committee had on Wednesday managed to block massive cash infusions for Haredi education and the Settlements Ministry in a marathon session that extended past the 10 hours allowed for parliamentary meetings during a recess.

The lawmakers accused the government of doling out benefits for supporters ahead of the October 27 election and delivered filibusters to prolong the session.

The gambit was also aided by internal disagreements between Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich — whose Religious Zionism party draws much of its support from the settlement movement — and ultra-Orthodox parties over the distribution of coalition funds between their respective constituencies.

The Knesset House Committee had designated the Wednesday session ahead........

© The Times of Israel