The Knesset Finance Committee recently approved NIS 290
million ($65 million) promised to United Torah Judaism in
exchange for not voting against the 2006 state budget and the
Arrangements Law.
Of this sum, NIS 183 million ($40 million) will be
transferred to yeshivas and kollelim, NIS 30 million
($7 million) to yeshivos ketanos and NIS 77 million
($17 million) whose use UTJ will determine in the future.
Before the funding was brought before the committee for
approval, MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni met with Finance Ministry
officials to accelerate the approval procedure in the Finance
Committee in light of the financial strain at Torah
institutions.
The committee also approved funding pledged to other
opposition parties — Yisroel Beiteinu and HaIchud
HaLeumi- NRP — in exchange for their abstaining from
the votes on the state budget and the Arrangements Law. The
committee approved a total of NIS 1 billion ($220 million)
for the opposition parties.
