The State Budget: Has the Era of "Special Funding" Come to an End?

Israel Democracy Institute4 Pinsker St., Jerusalem

Co-sponsored by the Jerusalem Center for Ethics

In 1992, the Foundations of the Budget Law of 1985 was amended to include Section 3A "Support for Public Institutions." This amendment illustrates the philosophy of John Rawls, who believed that in order to realize the principle of equality we should operate behind a "veil of ignorance." It was enacted in response to strong public sentiment that each year, as the deadline for passing the state budget approached, the Knesset allocated "special funding" based on the weight of the interested parties rather than the issue at hand. Its goal: To prevent the unequal allocation and discriminatory division of state funds and resources that the primary legislation allowed.

On March 11, 2013, over 20 years since the Budget Law was amended, IDI and the Jerusalem Center for Ethics hosted a roundtable to examine whether Section 3A of the Foundations of the Budget Law has achieved its purpose. Has "special funding" been eradicated? Is the principle of equality being applied in the allocation of state funding not only in theory, but also in practice? These questions and more were explored at this event.

The event was broadcast live on the IDI website and can be viewed here (Hebrew)