Israel Boosts Religious Building Budget by 25% Amid Political Maneuvering

The Israeli government approved a 25% increase in the budget for religious buildings, raising it from 88 million shekels to 110 million shekels for 2025. This decision was made during a budget meeting in December 2025. Additionally, 40 million shekels were allocated for the "Rabbinical Jobs Law," intended for appointing settlement rabbis and female ritual bath attendants (balaniot) in 2026 and increasing their salaries.

The timing of this approval is notable, occurring about five months after the ultra-Orthodox Shas party temporarily left the government in July 2025 due to the conscription law crisis. Despite Shas having no serving minister at the time, the government continued to allocate coalition funds to the party, as reported by Calcalist. This practice suggests that coalition agreements are being honored even after a party's formal departure from the government.

Shas reportedly prioritizes building ritual baths (mikvahs) in every community, regardless of actual need, viewing them as crucial for religious outreach and a catalyst for increasing religious populations. Data from the Israel Democracy Institute, as cited by Calcalist, indicates a significant disparity between investment and demand: in 2022, nearly half of the 902 women's mikvahs were located in regional councils, which house only 11.5% of Israel's Jewish population. The average monthly use in these rural mikvahs is less than two immersions per day.

This budget increase continues a trend of significant growth in funding for religious structures. The total budget for these buildings expanded from 37.5 million shekels in 2021 to 131 million shekels in 2024, a more than threefold increase. The latest allocation, combined with the funds for the Rabbinical Jobs Law, signifies a sustained expansion of this budget, even as the primary political beneficiary lacks direct governmental representation.