PMO agrees to redirect Avi Maoz's NIS 285 m. to evacuees

Noam leader Avi Maoz's budget of NIS 285 million for the National Jewish Identity Authority will be redirected to the war efforts, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Wednesday following Maoz's request on Tuesday.

Maoz sent a letter to PMO Director-General Yossi Shelly explaining that the National Jewish Identity Authority was in the final stages of its establishment.

"We cannot stand by while all of Israel has enlisted to the war against a cruel enemy that wants to kill us," he wrote.

"As such, in coordination with authority head Nir Orbach, I am making available the authority's employees, it's budget, and its offices for the needs of the war for as long as needed according to your consideration."

The funds will now be used as aid for evacuees from southern towns near Gaza and from towns and cities up north.

"We are combining the authority's budget and employees into the headquarters established in the PMO, and we intend to use the extra resources that have joined us to maximize the aid given to the residents of the South and citizens who were evacuated from their homes because of the war," said Shelly.

"From the moment the war broke out on the morning of Simchat Torah, it was clear we couldn't ignore it, and instead of the regular work, we will direct all the authority's budget to rehabilitating the evacuees and for the State of Israel's civil resilience at this difficult hour," said Orbach.

Coalition fund already faced criticism 

The redirection of Maoz's funds comes after former minister Galit Distal-Atbaryan resigned from the former public diplomacy ministry, saying she couldn't justify the use of funds when her ministry was redundant.

Ten days later, the ministry was shut down, and the funds were redirected to assist residents of the South.

On Monday, Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz also redirected funds saying that he would not approve the use of coalition funds unless they were necessary for the war effort.

The coalition fund had been heavily criticized as in recent months, hundreds of millions of shekels were redirected to ultra-Orthodox education and culture.