Education Minister Naftali Bennett is set to announce a new project, in which top artists, poets, and musicians will be awarded cash prizes for their contributions to Jewish and Israeli culture. The six Creativity Prizes, worth NIS 900,000, will be distribute to six artists in the areas of theater, dance, music, literature, poetry, and life achievement. The prizes will be awarded based on the “contributions of an artist or a work to Jewish culture,” a spokesperson for Bennett told Channel Two.

The judges will be made of a panel of experts in the five areas of art, along with representatives of the Education Ministry. Speaking to Channel Two, Bennett said that the project was “a very important one. Jewish culture draws upon roots thousands of years old, and Israel must encourage its continued development. Just as we today benefit from the creations of thousands of years of Jewish culture in poetry, literature, and other areas, so must we assist in the creation of works that our grandchildren and beyond will benefit from as well.”

Not as enthusiastic about the prize was Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev, who said that Bennett was “stepping on her toes.” Presentation of such prizes, her office said, has traditionally been the prerogative of her ministry.

“The distribution of such prizes, by law, is to be done by the Culture and Sport Ministry,” Regev’s office said in a statement. “I call on Minister Bennett to transfer the budget for this project to the ministry that is responsible for distributing these prizes. If he does not do so I will seek the advice of the Attorney General in order to determine the legal ramifications.”