Bill Aims to Slash Ultra-Orthodox School Budgets by Revoking Status

The Democrats party is preparing to introduce a dramatic bill aimed at stripping independent ultra-Orthodox school networks of their special statutory status, potentially cutting hundreds of millions of shekels from their budgets. According to the initiative led by MK Naama Lazimi, the legislation targets the "Bnei Yosef" network affiliated with Shas and the "Independent Education" network linked with United Torah Judaism.

For years, both networks have enjoyed a unique status granting them 100 percent state funding without being required to teach core curriculum subjects such as mathematics and English, or civic values. Last year alone, their combined budget reached 3.3 billion shekels. Analysts estimate that revoking this legal status would trigger a dramatic budget cut of nearly one billion shekels annually.

Legal experts note that the only path remaining for these networks to retain full state funding would be transitioning into the official state ultra-Orthodox education framework. The proposal stipulates that such a move would be irreversible, barring the networks from altering their status back through future legislation.

Political circles view the move as a direct message to ultra-Orthodox parties regarding potential opposition coalitions, though MK Gadi Eisenkot and Avigdor Lieberman are reportedly reluctant to advance the bill at this stage to avoid burning political bridges. Meanwhile, United Torah Judaism Chairman Yaakov Asher firmly rejected the prospect, declaring that ultra-Orthodox educational institutions will not teach core subjects under any circumstances.