Court ruling8/21/2026

High Court of Justice Allowed the Transfer of About 30 Million Shekels to the Ministry of Religious Services

The High Court of Justice exempted funding for the Ministry of Religious Services from the interim order prohibiting the transfer of funds. The decision was issued after a warning that 125 religious sites across the country could close without the funds.

Key facts

•Court: High Court of Justice
•Amount: about 30 million shekels
•At risk of closure: 125 sites
•Recipient: Ministry of Religious Services
•Neither the case number nor the date of the decision was stated

What Funds Were Frozen?

An interim order issued by the High Court of Justice halted the transfer of budget funds approved by the Knesset Finance Committee at the beginning of the month. The court has now exempted the budgets allocated to the Ministry of Religious Services.

Why Did the Court Exempt the Funds?

The ministry's director general, Yehuda Avidan, informed the High Court of Justice that the amount in question was about 30 million shekels. He said that without the funding, it would have been necessary to close 125 religious sites across the country beginning Sunday.

Which Sites Could Have Closed?

The sites at risk of closure included the Cave of the Patriarchs, Rachel's Tomb, and the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. The source does not state the case number, the date of the court's decision, the judicial panel, the parties to the proceeding, or detailed legal reasoning.

What this means for you

The decision allows funds to continue being transferred to the ministry despite the temporary freeze on other approved transfers. For visitors to religious sites and holy places, this reduces the immediate risk of closure, but the source does not detail the funding timelines or the subsequent course of the legal proceeding.

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