Despite failing to teach secular studies in accordance with the law, ultra-Orthodox schools will receive nearly a billion shekels ($322 million) in additional funding in 2026, with massive budgetary increases set to be transferred to school networks associated with the two main Haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.

According to Channel 12, the 2026 state budget, which is currently being advanced in the Knesset, contains increases of around 939 million shekels ($303 million) over 2025. This includes an increase from NIS 1.64 billion ($529 million) in 2025 to NIS 2.1 billion ($678 million) in 2026 for United Torah Judaism’s Independent Network; and from NIS 863 million ($278 million) in 2025 to NIS 1.23 billion ($397 million) in 2026 for Shas’ Maayan Hachinuch Hatorani school network.

In addition, funding for recognized but unofficial schools, which commit to teaching 75 percent of the curriculum and receive 75 percent of the funding of state schools, is set to increase from NIS 396 million ($127 million) in 2025 to NIS 508 million ($164 million) in 2026.

These numbers match an analysis conducted by the Berl Katznelson Center think tank, deputy director Aviad Houminer-Rosenblum told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.

“On top of that, they want to add another NIS 930 million ($300 million)” to include Haredi schools in the Ofek Hadash” (New Horizon) teacher remuneration program, for which most Haredi schools are currently ineligible, and NIS 40 million ($12.9 million) for the Pedagogical and Managerial Flexibility program, Houminer-Rosenblum added.

According to Houminer-Rosenblum, the increased budget is partly a function of changing budgeting methods, with Haredi schools getting the bulk of their funding upfront instead of being “topped off” at the end of the year.

However, he cautioned, “there’s a good chance they are increasing the budget now, and at the end of the year, they’ll still come back and say they’re missing funds and get even more.”

It has long been known that these schools offer a very low level of secular education, but recent reports indicate that the problem is even worse than previously believed. According to Channel 13, Haredi schools currently have almost no instructors qualified to teach subjects such as English and frequently only break out textbooks when Education Ministry inspectors come to visit, while the government turns a blind eye.

While the Education Ministry denied this, a 2025 report by the Israel Democracy Institute found that only a small fraction of the ultra-Orthodox boys’ elementary schools that fail to teach core curriculum subjects as required by law face any sanctions.

“It is clear that every day we know more and more details about the fact that there are practically no core studies in private Haredi education, and certainly among boys. There are no teachers, no syllabus, there is really no infrastructure, there is no sufficient infrastructure for core studies,” said opposition MK Vladimir Beliak (Yesh Atid), whose party recently petitioned the High Court of Justice to halt the transfer of some NIS 1 billion ($314 million) to ultra-Orthodox schools out of what is left of the 2025 state budget.

“These numbers have not yet come up for discussion in the Finance Committee, but of course they will come up [and] we will raise all the questions and demand all the legal opinions,” he promised, accusing the Education Ministry of “not providing data” on Haredi education.

“We will not hesitate to immediately petition the High Court and request an injunction to stop” the increases, Beliak continued. “We are not against the Haredi public or against the Haredi children. We believe that every Haredi child should receive equal opportunities to learn math, English and science.”

In late December, the High Court issued an order temporarily blocking the transfer of the funds, most of which had already been handed over, a move which one judge called “illegal.”

On Tuesday, the High Court of Justice ordered the Finance and Education ministries to explain why they have not created a system for checking whether ultra-Orthodox schools are teaching mandatory core subjects by April 15.

In response, Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni accused the court of bias against the Haredi community.

“The hatred of the High Court justices toward the Haredi public and Haredi education is obvious to any sensible person,” said Gafni, arguing that the majority of students in the school networks run by the United Torah Judaism and Shas parties, “most of whom are girls, study all subjects… and are the ones who excel the most in exams.”

“There is no logic in issuing orders against the Haredi networks, which, as mentioned, are the best in the education system. There is only one professional explanation: hatred and jealousy. And that’s it,” he argued.

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