Hasidic Sect Offers Cash Incentives to Boycott Elections

The Satmar Hasidic sect has launched a campaign to discourage voting in the upcoming Israeli elections, offering financial incentives to those who pledge not to cast a ballot. This traditional practice has seen a significant increase in participation this year, with 12,000 new registrants signing up. The sect is distributing approximately $200 in cash to each individual who commits to boycotting the vote.

This surge in participation is attributed, in part, to the recent halt in state funding for yeshivas. A condition for receiving the Satmar payment is not accepting money from the government, and with the budget freeze, thousands of students are now eligible for the sect's grant. The funds for these payments have been transferred from abroad to Israel.

In related news, the High Court of Justice ruled that information on voter identities cannot be transferred for further review, and the Attorney General decided that draft dodgers who won housing benefits will retain them without retroactive penalty. Meanwhile, the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism are nearing the submission of their electoral lists, with United Torah Judaism reportedly hardening its stance on demanding a military service exemption for yeshiva students without sanctions.