Israeli Supreme Court Judge Freezes Controversial Fund Transfers Amid Election Period

Supreme Court Judge Alex Stein has issued a temporary injunction halting questionable budget transfers to ultra-Orthodox and settler groups, while allowing emergency civilian funding to continue. This ruling reflects a judicial balance between permitting normal government operations and preventing misuse of state resources during the pre-election period. The decision comes amid concerns that the outgoing government might exploit its remaining time to cement appointments and budgets, potentially undermining democratic norms and administrative integrity.

The injunction was prompted by Finance Committee Chairman Hanoch Milwitsky convening a session to allocate hundreds of millions of shekels to coalition-aligned ultra-Orthodox and settler sectors less than 90 days before elections. This meeting was held without opposition consent, enabled by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana’s rare authority to call sessions without prior notice or legal justification. Opposition members petitioned the Supreme Court to block the committee’s session and the fund transfers, arguing they constitute electoral bribery.

The Supreme Court has ruled that government powers during election periods are equivalent to those of a regular government but must be exercised with restraint and only for essential needs. As elections approach, the scope for discretionary actions narrows. The article also notes the customary formation of a "consensus committee" during election recesses to prevent parliamentary bodies from becoming platforms for election propaganda or partisan maneuvering.

Separately, the Likud party’s internal court annulled a decision by the party’s central committee to change primary election rules, which had been proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud Chairman Haim Katz. The change would have allowed incumbent ministers and Knesset members to compete in regional districts, a move seen as protecting certain incumbents’ positions. The internal court’s ruling blocked this, highlighting internal party tensions and raising questions about the fate of key figures like Keti Shitrit and Eti Atiya in the upcoming primaries.

This period is expected to test the limits of democratic restraint within Israel’s political system, especially as the government nears elections and faces accusations of leveraging state resources for political gain.