The High Court of Justice on Thursday tore into the state’s arguments over a recent transfer of funds to ultra-Orthodox schools that was implemented without the required deliberations and vote in the Knesset Finance Committee, with one judge calling the  move “illegal.”

Petitioners, including the Yesh Atid party and the Hiddush religious freedom and equality group, initially argued that the transfer of NIS 1 billion ($315 million) was illegal due to information showing the ultra-Orthodox schools do not meet their legal obligation to teach the requisite number of hours of core curriculum subjects, such as math, science, and English.

However, during the hearing on the petitions, it also became clear from the response filed by the state that some 90 percent of the funds had already been transferred before the committee formally voted on and approved the measure, in late December.

Justice Yael Willner asked under what authority the funds had been transferred without the committee’s approval, to which state representative Neta Oren responded that it is a “practice” that is done occasionally.

Justice Ofer Grosskopf demanded to know if anyone gave legal authorization for such a “practice,” to which Oren said she was unsure.

“This was a mock hearing,” declared Willner of the Finance Committee meeting in which a vote on the transfer of funds was held after the fact.

“What happened in the Finance Committee is that the committee members did not know that the hearing was a mock hearing. That it’s a game… It was a ruse. What is this?” she demanded.

A representative for the Knesset’s legal department........

© The Times of Israel