Israeli Government Transfers Tens of Millions Before Finance Committee Approval

Shortly before the Knesset's dissolution, documents presented to the Finance Committee reveal that the Israeli government transferred tens of millions of shekels prior to receiving committee approval, despite a Supreme Court ruling and legal advisories from the Knesset's legal counsel. According to the documents, the Budget Department acknowledged a budget overrun of approximately 67 million shekels under the "Regional Grants" program. The justification given was that the timing of the budget law approval required expenses to be made in advance, with budget coverage sourced from 2025 surpluses before the Finance Committee's consent was obtained.

Additionally, two other budget overruns were disclosed: one million shekels under "Miscellaneous Expenses," which includes compensation for families of Yemenite immigrants, and 400,000 shekels under "Financial Activities" for the Credit Moderation Fund. In total, these overruns amount to roughly 69 million shekels.

This issue follows a Supreme Court decision in response to a petition by the Yesh Atid party, which ruled that the Finance Committee is entitled to receive all necessary information for its discussions, with Knesset members determining the scope of required data. The petitioners demand full disclosure of funds to be deducted from ultra-Orthodox institutions for failing to meet core program requirements.

Opposition Finance Committee member MK Vladimir Beliak criticized the government's actions, stating, "Just before the Knesset's dissolution, the coalition is raiding the state treasury illegally by transferring funds without committee approval. This has characterized the past four years, and we will rectify it in the next government."