Cabinet meeting
Cabinet meetingIsrael National News

The government is expected to vote at the Cabinet meeting today on Israel's bid to join the European Union's Culture and Media Fund.

This is the main program for the advancement of culture in the EU, in which the fund promotes cooperation with its member states and invests thousands of euros in cultural institutions.

But in approving the plan, which the Culture and Sports Ministry is very interested in doing, there is one fundamental limitation: it is not possible to use the budget in localities beyond the so-called Green Line.

The fund would ban assistance not only for the residents of Judea and Samaria, but also to those who live in eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

The report to the Cabinet ministers downplayed this discrimination, stating: "There may be localities that will not receive the support of the fund due to their geographical location."

The government has recommended that Culture and Sports Minister Hili Tropper formulate a support mechanism for the communities that are not eligible for the fund's support.