DMK chief Stalin moves High Court challenging TVK candidate V.S. Babu’s victory in Kolathur

In a dispute over funds approved by the Knesset Finance Committee during the election recess, petitioners have urged the High Court to unfreeze urgent transfers for local authorities and communities in Israel's North and South regions, while maintaining a freeze on coalition and sectoral funding. The request, filed by Hiddush and Democrats MK Naama Lazimi, stems from an ongoing conflict over hundreds of millions of shekels.

The Knesset countered the petitioners' claim on Monday, stating that their distinction between urgent and other funding weakens their argument that the August 4 Finance Committee meeting, during which the transfers were approved, was unlawful. Consequently, the court was asked to dismiss the petition and lift the freeze entirely.

Currently, a significant portion of the contested funding remains blocked. Civil emergency expenditures were initially excluded when Justice Alex Stein initially froze the transfers on August 5, and on Friday, the High Court released the full NIS 78 million transfer for the Religious Services Ministry. However, the Education Ministry and National Missions Ministry transfers remain frozen until the court makes a final decision. The petitioners are now seeking to further narrow the freeze.