Knesset’s legal entity: Coalition violated the law in the distribution of profit of the Welfare Fund

This year we are talking about the amount of 189 million shekels, which, according to the law, should go to social, research and educational goals that are not funded on an ongoing basis in the state budget. In addition, the government should annually allocate the amount “for investment in renewable energy and its development”, as well as to encourage employment in Negev.

The Ministry of Finance sent to the Commission “List of Goals for Approval” about a month ago, and this list did not meet the requirements of the law. The chairman of the commission NISIM VATORI (Likud) said that he did not intend to automatically approve the requirements of the Ministry of Finance and held a series of meetings at which representatives of organizations who claimed financing were heard in accordance with the goals of the fund.

However, on Tuesday, March 11, Vatori announced that he had achieved from the Ministry of Finance of the allocation of 20 million shekels from the fund to the sphere of renewable energy sources and tried to hold an immediate vote.

The legal adviser to the Knesset Sagit Afik blocked this attempt, since the commission members did not give time to get acquainted with the list of goals for which the money should go. In addition, the Afik emphasized that the list that is submitted for approval is too general and does not meet the requirements of the law.

As a result, the vote of the commission was held on Wednesday, March 12. The Ministry of Finance did not provide the deputies with the specific goals for which the money would go, after which the opposition members refused to participate in the vote and stated that they would turn to Bagatz.

116.5 million shekels will be transferred to the Ministry of Education, 23 million shekels – the Ministry of Negev and Galilee, 20 million shekels to the Ministry of Energy and Health, 9.5 million shekels – the Ministry of settlement and national tasks. At the same time, contrary to the law, the ministries themselves will determine what goals this money will go for.

It should be noted that the legal adviser to the Knesset is not included in the general structure of the office of the legal adviser to the government, but is an independent figure representing the interests of the Knesset as a legislative branch of power.