• A threat to 100 million shekels for building classrooms and 57 million shekels for culture

A meeting will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, at the Prime Minister’s Office with the participation of ministry director generals, aimed at determining the fate of vital budgets allocated to the Arab community for 2025. At the Mossawa Center, we warn that this meeting comes in the context of continued attempts by Minister Mai Golan to withdraw and reduce budgets allocated to Arab citizens, as part of a systematic policy aimed at undermining development plans and essential services in our towns.

This alarming trend coincides with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s announcement of his intention to transfer an additional 2.5 billion shekels to settlements in the northern West Bank, while essential and urgent budgets for the Arab community are being frozen.

The total amount of threatened budgets reaches 279.7 million shekels, all of which are ready for immediate implementation and have existing professional plans within the ministries. This includes significant allocations of 100 million shekels for classroom construction in the education system, now at risk of being halted. It also includes 57.1 million shekels for culture and sports, 82.7 million shekels under the Ministry of Interior, 9.2 million shekels for programs under the Ministry of Social Equality, in addition to budgets for the Negev and Galilee, including tender-selected projects worth 23 million shekels, and youth programs totaling 7.7 million shekels.

It is important to emphasize that these are not theoretical or postponed budgets—they are ready for immediate disbursement. Their cancellation or freezing would directly impact education, social infrastructure, cultural services, youth programs, and local projects within our community. These budgets are not a “political privilege,” but rather rights achieved by the Arab community through extensive professional and public efforts, and they must be utilized as intended to serve Arab citizens.

The Mossawa Center calls on the public, local authorities, and professional institutions to send urgent messages to ministry director generals to prevent these cuts. Serious pressure now can prevent the loss of resources that are essential for the development and advancement of our community, which already suffers from chronic budget shortages.

Attached photos show caravans being used as classrooms in schools in the Negev.