Attorney General to Supreme Court: Continued funding for Haredi education is conditional on core curriculum studies

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara responded today, Friday, to a petition in the Supreme Court regarding the funding of "first tier" studies in Haredi education networks: "Ministry of Education data indicate significant gaps in the institutions' compliance with their duty to teach the full core curriculum and failures in the ability to supervise the fulfillment of obligations and enforce them."

It was further written:

"Therefore, the state determines that continued receipt of funding based on the 'all children of Israel' principle will be conditional on meeting the basic obligations applicable to the network institutions, including full core curriculum studies as defined in the core curriculum of official education, employment of teaching staff with appropriate qualifications, full participation in measurement and evaluation systems, cooperation with supervision and enforcement mechanisms, and compliance with reporting obligations. These requirements will apply as early as the current school year."

The Yesh Atid party petitioned the Supreme Court in December 2025 regarding budget transfers to Haredi education. According to the letter they sent before the petition, on 22.12.2025 the government decided on the "establishment of a ministerial team to formulate government policy for Haredi education and its implementation." According to the party members, "behind this euphemism actually lies the intention to 'bypass' the core curriculum obligation imposed on Haredi educational institutions and the restrictions imposed on institutions that do not meet this obligation, as well as the Supreme Court ruling and the Attorney General's guidelines regarding the reduction of funding for Haredi educational institutions whose students did not receive an exemption or whose military service was not deferred."

The Supreme Court discussed the petition filed and decided to freeze by interim order the transfer of coalition funds to Haredi educational institutions that are not under supervision. During the hearing, the judges sharply criticized the state. Judge Gila Canfi-Steinitz asked the state representative: "Under what law or procedure were the funds transferred?". Judge Yael Willner added: "This is illegal conduct." Later, Willner claimed that the discussion in the Finance Committee was held after the funds had already been transferred in practice: "If this was not told to the committee members - it is a sham discussion. It is a deception."

The state representative, Adv. Neta Oren, admitted that most of the funds were transferred before receiving the required approvals, and said that "there is such a practice." Willner replied: "It is not 'undesirable' - it is illegal."