“Daylight Robbery”: Petition Filed to Block Finance Committee from Approving 360 Million Shekel Budget Transfers

MK Naama Lazimi (Labor) and Adv. Dr. Ifat Solel, legal advisor to the Hiddush organization, filed an urgent petition this morning to the Supreme Court requesting an injunction against the convening of the Finance Committee. The committee is currently discussing coalition budget transfers totaling over 360 million shekels, which the petitioners claim violates the law and Knesset decisions during the election recess.

The petition requests an injunction against the meeting itself, or alternatively, an interim order that would prevent the transfer of funds if they are approved during the session. The petition claims that the meeting does not meet the legal conditions set by the Knesset, which allowed the Finance Committee to hold only one meeting during the first two weeks of the recess—a meeting that took place on July 29 and concluded without any budget transfers being approved.

It is further claimed that the agenda included coalition transfers that were not discussed at all before the Knesset went on recess, including approximately 280 million shekels earmarked for Haredi and religious educational institutions.

“We warned in advance that we would not allow daylight robbery of our tax money. The thieves of the outgoing coalition are behaving like a gang trying to empty the public coffers just before they lose power. The excuse of a 'continuation discussion' is an insult to intelligence, a trampling of the rules of proper administration, and a direct blow to the integrity of the elections. Hundreds of millions of shekels that are supposed to go to reservists, evacuees, and the collapsing welfare and health systems are now being diverted as election bribes to draft dodgers and cronies. We will stand there as a solid wall and fight for every shekel—until we replace them in the elections and bring a responsible government to Israel,” said Lazimi.

Solel added: “Finance Committee Chairman Hanoch Milwidsky is ignoring the law and trying to continue the plundering of public funds and their transfer to crony groups, after the Knesset has already gone on election recess and is supposed to deal only with agreed-upon issues. In light of this, there is no choice but to ask again that the court put a stop to the representatives of the outgoing government in the Knesset.”