Everyone is equal before the law--except for those who are
more equal than others.
The well-endowed incitement racket that has taken shape over
the last few years in the area of budget payments to Torah
institutions relies heavily on a procedural principle that
government funds should not be distributed without fixed,
standardized eligibility criteria.
Based on this principle, the state has built a complex
system of criteria that invariably lead anyone familiar with
it to the conclusion that the requirements were specifically
instituted to hinder Torah institutions--which are perceived
very unfavorably by several senior officials in relevant
government ministries--from receiving budgetary payments.
The tough battle that has been waged has not yet been
resolved, but it is founded on the assumption that in a
modern, well-run country all citizens are equal before the
law and all organizations that receive public funds must
meet objective eligibility requirements in order to receive
public funds. But a High Court appeal filed by the Cameretta
Orchestra provides a reminder of the fact that not only are
all sorts of "cultural" organizations funded through the
state budget, but also that the concept of criteria, which
is so important in other cases, is relatively unfamiliar to
these organizations.
Unlike the various funds funneled into all kinds of state-
supported orchestras, an orchestra by the name of Cameretta
did not receive enough funding to keep it satisfied.
According to the orchestra's claims, it is eligible and
should receive comparable sums to those received by
competing orchestras. If the state can afford to fund
orchestras, why shouldn't they share in the spoils?
It was in a state of distress over this matter that the
orchestra turned to the High Court arguing that the Ministry
of Culture was discriminating against it compared with other
similar orchestras that receive much larger allotments of
State funds.
Following the appeal, the High Court issued an injunction,
at the orchestra's request, requiring the Ministry of
Culture to publish standardized criteria according to which
the various cultural associations would be given state
funds. The heads of the Ministry of Education and Culture,
who fought tooth and nail to make the payment of grants to
Torah institutions dependent on standardized criteria,
apparently forgot to ensure that government support for
organizations they deem worthy also function according to
such criteria.
