Supreme Court Justice Stein Temporarily Halts Funding Transfer to Ultra-Orthodox Education Over Procedural Flaws

Supreme Court Justice Alex Stein issued a temporary injunction stopping the transfer of funds to ultra-Orthodox education due to alleged procedural defects in the Knesset Finance Committee's deliberations. Stein ruled that, except for emergency civilian expenses, the budget transfers decided at the committee meeting will be delayed until further review. The petition, filed by attorneys Yifat Solel and Naama Lazimi, will be heard by a three-justice panel as soon as possible. Stein also ordered the respondents to submit preliminary responses within 48 hours of the scheduled hearing.

The decision sparked strong criticism from coalition members, with MK Hanoch Milvitsky calling for the closure of the Supreme Court and advocating for a constitutional court instead. The ruling highlights concerns about the procedural integrity of budget approvals affecting the ultra-Orthodox sector.

Separately, Justice Solberg ruled that disclosing details about voting procedures, such as the timing and type of polling stations, violates privacy laws and is not permitted under election regulations. This prohibits party representatives from sharing such information for political activities without explicit authorization.