Following seven hours of fierce debate, the Knesset Finance Committee approved the allocation of nearly NIS 100 million ($33 million) in funds for Haredi education institutions on Tuesday evening, part of a larger NIS 1 billion ($331 million) transfer that was halted in December by the High Court of Justice because it was not voted on by the parliamentary panel nor undergo the requisite deliberations.

While the rest of the funds have since been distributed, the court last month ordered the committee to hold a meeting to discuss the remaining NIS 98 million. December’s order was issued in response to a petition submitted by lawmakers from the opposition Yesh Atid party, which accused the government of funding educational institutions that do not teach core curriculum subjects as required by law.

The money is slated for the schools networks of the United Torah Judaism and Shas parties, known as Chinuch Atzmai and Ma’ayan HaChinuch HaTorani. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pushed back against Finance Ministry claims they were informed last year that the funds were allocated before being approved.

In a statement before the committee discussion, Yesh Atid noted the vote was taking place on Holocaust Remembrance Day and said that “while in the previous budget they cut NIS 3.3 million from aid for Holocaust survivors, today in the Finance Committee they are discussing the transfer of about NIS 100 million to Haredi educational institutions.”

These are the “priorities of the draft dodgers and the corrupt,” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s party added.

The committee vote was boycotted by the opposition, whose members stood up and declined to take part as the transfer of the necessary background material on the level of secular education in Haredi schools  — which the High Court ordered presented to lawmakers — was delayed until the debate was almost finished.

Lawmakers decried efforts to fund schools which fail to teach required........

© The Times of Israel