The budget for religious institutions in the Jerusalem municipality has nearly doubled since Mayor Nir Barkat entered office, Army Radio reported on Thursday.
When Barkat entered office in 2009, Jerusalem's budget for religious buildings, mostly for mikvaot ritual baths, was NIS 10 million per year. This year the budget has increased to NIS 18.5 million per year. Officials in the Jerusalem municipality responded that the budget for religious buildings has not increased since 2010 and that the increased funds were allocated by the government, not the municipality.
