Due to 33 Million Shekel Freeze: Activity at Holy Sites to Cease in September

Are Israel's holy sites facing a total shutdown due to budgetary paralysis? Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services, Yehuda Avidan, sent an urgent warning letter on Tuesday, stating that the activities of the National Center for the Development of Holy Sites—including maintenance and site management—will cease immediately at the beginning of September.

The crisis stems from a temporary injunction issued last week by Supreme Court Judge Alex Stein. The order came just one day after the Knesset Finance Committee approved a budget request from the Ministry of Religious Services. The judge's August 5 decision effectively froze the transfer of funds approved by the committee, including a critical sum of approximately 33 million shekels earmarked for the center's ongoing operations.

In the official letter, titled "Warning regarding the closure of the activity of the National Center for the Development of Holy Sites," Director General Avidan clarified the direct consequences of the budget freeze:

"Without the approval of the request, the ministry has no budgetary source for maintaining the ongoing activity of the National Center for the Development of Holy Sites. I hereby bring to your attention that if a solution is not found by the end of August, the activity of the National Center—including the various sites—will be stopped immediately at the beginning of September. Please prepare accordingly."

The National Center for the Development of Holy Sites is responsible for the management, regulation, maintenance, and security of dozens of sites and tombs across the country, the most prominent being the tomb of the Rashbi in Meron. Now, in the absence of budgets for electricity, water, and security, access to these locations could be blocked in less than two weeks.