Smotrich Moves to Shift Hundreds of Millions of Shekels to Jewish Identity Programs

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is working to transfer hundreds of millions of shekels to a “Jewish identity” program, according to a report aired Wednesday evening on Kan News. The effort is being coordinated between Smotrich’s office and the Ministry of Settlement, and it is not being funded through coalition funds.

According to the report, the money would come from reserve funds that Smotrich kept under his control on the night the state budget was approved by the government. The final structure of the program is still being worked out.

People familiar with the matter said the budget is expected to go, among other things, to religious preparatory academies and scholarships for Jewish studies. According to estimates, Smotrich will try to bring the plan to government approval as soon as next week, in an effort to move before the Knesset is dissolved and increase the chances of implementation.

Senior economic officials reacted harshly to the report, saying, “There is a feeling of a liquidation sale. Every day there is an attempt to transfer more and more money to sectoral and political purposes.”