Civil rights group petitions Israel’s High Court over diversion of Arab-sector transport funds
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has filed a petition to the High Court of Justice against the Transportation Ministry and the Finance Ministry, accusing them of diverting tens of millions of shekels meant to reduce transport gaps in Arab communities to infrastructure projects serving Jewish localities. The petition was filed on behalf of six residents of the Wadi Ara area and the National Committee of Arab Local Authorities.
According to the petition, the ministries acted contrary to the five-year plan for narrowing gaps in Arab society, which set aside 557 million shekels from the Transportation Ministry’s budget to improve accessibility and advance planning for a mass transit system on Route 65 crossing Wadi Ara. The petition says the state allocated about 507 million shekels for the project, but by early 2026 had spent about 194.5 million shekels, of which only about 13 million shekels, or 6.5%, went to the original mass transit plan.
The rest, the petition alleges, was redirected to other projects along Route 65, including the Nahal Hadera interchange, which are not part of the government decision. It says roughly 90% of the budget was shifted to projects that serve Jewish towns. The petitioners argue the ministries’ conduct violates the government’s commitment, breaches the equality principle, and harms constitutional rights including life and dignity.
The petition asks for an interim order barring the ministries from continuing to use the funds for other Route 65 projects, so the money is not exhausted before the original plan can be implemented. Attorney Hagar Shachter of the civil rights group said government decision 550 was meant to fix years of discrimination and neglect, but instead the state “stole” a budget expressly meant to reduce gaps and redirected it to infrastructure near Jewish communities. The Finance Ministry said the petition will be heard in the proper forums, and the Transportation Ministry had not responded.
