Following instructions to prepare for the closure of the Cave of the Patriarchs (Me'arat Hamachpelah) and warnings that services at additional holy sites may be halted, sources told Arutz Sheva - Israel National News that the decision may cost lives.
Officials in the Finance Ministry and at the holy sites sharply criticized a Supreme Court order on Thursday morning that froze budget transfers, warning of its consequences ahead of the month of Selichot prayers and the High Holidays.
According to officials familiar with the details, the budget transfers included allocations that were not coalition funds but were intended for the operation of holy sites. However, the Supreme Court halted the transfers without distinguishing between the different purposes of the funding. Earlier this month, Justice Alex Stein issued a temporary injunction delaying the transfers after determining that there were apparent procedural flaws in the Finance Committee's deliberations.
As a result, the Cave of the Patriarchs, the National Center for the Development of Holy Sites, and others have been left without the intended budgets to fund their continued operations.
A senior official involved with the holy sites warned Arutz Sheva- Israel National News of the potential consequences of such a deficit during a period when large numbers of worshippers are expected to visit the sites.
"Israeli citizens need to understand that tens and hundreds of thousands of people come to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron and the Cave of the Patriarchs during the month of Selichot and the holiday period. If there is a disaster, it will be the responsibility of the Supreme Court justices."
The official added sharply, "Their hands will be full of blood, and they will not be able to hide behind one judicial decision or another. We take care of security and cleanliness at the site for the worshippers."
Regarding the Cave of the Patriarchs, the official noted that renovations are currently underway in the Jacob Hall and warned that preparations for Selichot could be harmed.
"We are in the middle of renovating the Jacob Hall. Why stop it? Selichot will begin soon with tens of thousands of worshippers. Why prevent them? Because Justice [Khaled] Kabub doesn't like Jews praying? Because we don't sit well with Kabub and Ruth Ronnen?"
According to the official, funding for the sites should not be viewed as a sectoral issue.
"There are no coalition funds here. Do Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai's tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs belong to Shas? They belong to everyone. Most of the public that comes consists of soldiers, visitors from abroad, and many traditional and secular Israelis, some of whom are visiting Hebron for the first time," he said.
The official continued his attack on the court, saying, "The Supreme Court has become an anarchist organization that spreads destruction and panic. In any place where the Supreme Court sees that it can harm religious, haredi, traditional, and right-wing Israelis, it is the first to volunteer for the task."
Finance Ministry officials told Arutz Sheva that "this is judicial review that seeks to replace the most basic actions of a government, namely the allocation of budgets in accordance with the commitments of the Knesset and government under the law."
According to them, freezing the funds also affects ongoing operations and suppliers who have already provided services and are awaiting payment from the State.
They also noted that the budget transfers were carried out in a manner approved by the Knesset's legal adviser and that, according to them, similar moves were made during previous Knessets and election periods.
"The Supreme Court justices are far removed from understanding the implications of freezing millions of shekels and the impact this step has on the regular and critical operations of government ministries, as well as on organizations and private individuals, including suppliers who provided services and are waiting for payments to which the State committed," the officials warned.