Israeli Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Halt Finance Committee Meeting During Election Recess

On August 3, 2026, Israeli Supreme Court Justice Alex Stein dismissed an urgent petition seeking to prevent the Finance Committee from convening during the election recess. The committee met to discuss multiple budget transfers, including coalition funds amounting to hundreds of millions of shekels. The petition was filed by the organizations Hadash, Freedom of Religion and Equality, and Knesset member Naama Lazimi against Finance Committee Chair Amir Ohana, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, and the Ministry of Finance, represented by the State Attorney's Office.

The petitioners argued that the committee's meeting violated rules governing Knesset committee activity during election recesses, citing short notice, lack of consent from the Arrangements Committee, and absence of prior discussion on convening the meeting. They also claimed the agenda included budget transfers to the Defense Ministry, Prime Minister's Office, Education Ministry, and Ministry of Religious Services, with some funds designated as coalition allocations, which they said contravened the government's duty of restraint during elections.

Justice Stein rejected the request for an interim injunction to stop the meeting, stating he did not find grounds to grant such relief. However, he ordered the petitioners to update the court by 9:00 AM on August 5 regarding decisions made during the Finance Committee session. The court has not yet ruled on the petition's substantive claims, and further proceedings will depend on the petitioners' update.

This ruling allows the Finance Committee to continue its budgetary discussions during the election recess, while the legal challenge remains pending.