Finance Minister Allocates Over 70 Million Shekels to Education Ministry to Prevent National Service Cuts

Due to concerns over the potential reduction of thousands of national service positions, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has ordered an immediate allocation of more than 70 million shekels to the Ministry of Education to address the crisis. This funding is a one-time addition aimed at stabilizing the situation. Following this allocation, the Ministry of Education's Budget and Economics Director will collaborate with the Budget Department of the Finance Ministry to develop a comprehensive funding plan, including budget classification and, if necessary, government approval.

This move comes after reports emerged two days ago that dozens of national service coordinators were at risk of dismissal due to a planned cut of 2,000 positions within the National Service Division of the Ministry of Education. The new funding seeks to prevent these layoffs and ensure the continuation of national service roles.