JERUSALEM (JNS) – Starting Sept. 1, unemployed yeshiva students will no longer be eligible for daycare-center subsidies for their children, Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced on Wednesday.
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“The current mechanism harms parents who work and prioritizes those who do not,” he said, according to Channel 12. “Change is therefore required.”
“I will continue to move towards eliminating negative incentives for integration into the labor force,” he said, stressing the “importance of putting those who work and pay taxes at the forefront.”
Today, according to Channel 12, the state provides a subsidy of about NIS 1,000 ($306) per child in kindergartens run by WIZO, NA’AMAT and other non-profit organizations to families in which the wife works at least 24 hours per week, and the husband is not required to work due to his studies.
Ninety-three percent of the families in the above category are from the haredi sector, according to the Finance Ministry.
Under Lieberman’s new policy, the definition of “studies” will be changed to “employment-oriented studies” (i.e. academic studies, studies towards a certificate and others, but not yeshiva studies. In addition, fathers, not just mothers, will be required to work at least 24 hours per week in order for parents to meet the criteria for receipt of a discount in childcare.
The eliminated discounts are estimated at about NIS 400 million ($122 million) per year, constituting approximately one third of the state’s total current subsidies for daycare center and kindergarten tuition.
Lieberman’s decision does not require legislation in order to be implemented, Channel 12 said, but will be coordinated with Economy Minister Orna Barbivai.
Haredi Knesset members expressed outrage at the policy shift, with United Torah Judaism chairman Moshe Gafni stating, “The criterion determined by the evil Lieberman will prevent a working woman whose husband is studying Torah from subsidizing a child in a daycare center, and will cause severe economic harm to these families.”
“The first decision of the finance minister is to harm the haredim,” said Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri.
Referring to the new prime minister and justice minister, Deri added, “[Naftali] Bennett and [Gideon] Sa’ar, who promised to ‘take care of the haredim,’ formed a hate government that made hurting the Torah world its flagship.”
Because of course socialist-style social welfare entitlement programs are evil and must be combatted.
unless the beneficiaries are charedim.
I’m curious. What about all of those university students who don’t work?
Oh, wait! ONLY yeshiva studies> How utterly racist!
But this comes from the same guy who wants to take a wheelbarrow & throw all chareidim in the garbage.
Governments that mess with Torah in EY, don’t last and are not successful. Keep it up and you’ll be gone too!
It’s a shame these self hating tzioni ferd don’t understand that the Yeshiva iait are doing more for the country than anyone else!
Simple solution……… single mothers will still qualify for child care.
The new regime that “doesn’t need a rabbanut”, doesn’t recognize their marriage anyway.
This week’s Parsha:
The tribe of Reuven and Gad wanted to stay in trans Jordan because the land was beneficial for they’re cattle.
Moses was furious!! He said to them “your brothers are going to fight a war and you guys are just gonna be spectators??!!
You do the math…..
Just saying
It doesn’t have to cause “severe economic harm to families”. It can actually bring economic prosperity by incentivizing men to work. The current situation is causing harm to the hardworking taxpayer, who is burdened by high taxes, and having a hard time meeting today’s high cost of living. Many hardworking families are living in debt.
They should work by teaching Torah to those children and adults who are not learning Torah and they should be paid by the government for their work.
Eretz Yisrael Torat Yisrael and Am Yisrael. What Jew in the US could think of siding agsinst the Medina with haters like AOC. Such people are no better than the “chareidim” who go to Iran
And someone is surprised?
Wait! This is just the beginning.
These “yeshiva boys” sitting for hours on the highways blocking buses and cars, don’t respect their own learning. They enjoy making trouble while sitting on the highway and singing Lag Bo’omer songs.
But he won’t cut from the Arabs because they will burn down the cities. They won’t evict Arabs from illegal homes but Jews yes. We can fight this evil. We as chareidim in America should elect AOC as our senator. Then will see how these bareheaded tziyonim will come begging for money.
This evil Govt must go even though yes there should be a push for charedim to work or at least accpet the idea of work like Lakewood at minimum.