Religious School Forum Condemns Supreme Court Budget Freeze as Partisan Attack

The Forum of Religious Education (Chinuch Datit) sharply criticized the Israeli Supreme Court's recent decision to freeze the transfer of the budget approved for religious state schools (Chinuch Mamlachti-Dati), calling it a continuation of a "hatred and polarization campaign" led by left-wing organizations. The budget, which had been approved after a year-long delay, was halted by Supreme Court Justice Alex Stein due to alleged procedural flaws in the Knesset Finance Committee's August 4, 2026 session.

The Forum stated that the freeze unfairly punishes 400,000 students, their parents, and educators in the religious state education system, who contribute significantly to Israeli society and bear a notable share of military service and sacrifice. They warned that if the budget delay continues, the upcoming school year will see cuts in teaching hours, damage to educational programs, and increased financial burdens on parents.

The Supreme Court's interim order suspends the budget transfers except for emergency civilian expenses, pending a hearing before a three-judge panel. The Forum demanded the immediate lifting of the freeze to ensure timely funding for the religious state schools. This budget freeze also affects historic funding for heritage sites in Judea and Samaria, which was approved alongside the Chinuch Mamlachti-Dati budget in the Finance Committee.

The Forum accused left-wing groups of repeatedly filing petitions to undermine religious state education and expressed frustration over the ongoing legal battles impacting the sector. The case is expected to be heard soon by the Supreme Court panel.