Israeli Gvt. Allocates 30 Billion NIS To Arabs, MK Porush: They Don’t Serve In IDF, Why Give Them Budgets?

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israel’s new government has allocated NIS 30 billion ($9.375 billion) from the new budget to improve the quality of life and the economic status of Israel’s Arab sector and in particular the Negev Bedouin. The budgetary plan will be implemented over the years 2022-2026.

More than NIS 1.4 billion will be invested in professional training. Emphasis will be placed on imparting Hebrew language skills in order to encourage better integration in the employment market. Daycare activities will also be expanded to encourage Arab women to enter the labor force. The government will also aim to increase the proportion of Arab students eligible for matriculation at the level of 5 units in mathematics, English and computer science,  as well as increasing the proportion of graduates in high-tech subjects among Arab society and increasing the proportion of Arab employees and entrepreneurs in the high-tech industry.

The government also wants to reduce the gaps in health services among residents in minority communities throughout the country by at least 25%.

5,000 housing units will be marketed to Negev Arabs in 2022 and up to 9,000 will be marketed in 2026 in Arab communities. Aging infrastructure will also be upgraded in the older areas.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that “our goal is to reduce the gaps in education, welfare, women’s employment and the economic-municipal sphere in particular. In addition, as we deepen our education in mathematics and science in Arab society, and increase the participation of Arabs in the high-tech market, we will all benefit.”

MK Meir Porush (UTJ) decried the government hypocrisy in allocated huge funds to a sector which does not serve equally in the IDF and is even hostile towards army service, whereas when former PM Netanyahu attempted to allocate minimal budgets to the chareidi sector, the same MKs claimed that the chareidim do not carry the burden equally and should not receive government support.

Porush spoke during the Knesset debate regarding the budget and said: “what was the content of [Yair] Lapid’s speeches for years? How did he incite the general public against the chareidi public? He said on every occasion: ‘we don’t want you to live off us, go and work, go to the army, why do you behave like parasites, why do you take money from the state? Why does Netanyahu give you money?’

“Your main claim was that we don’t serve equally and therefore there is no justification for allocating budgets to chareidim.

“Now there is a new government and an alternative prime minister running things with his 18 mandates and they’re going to give the Arabs 30 billion NIS. I’m not envious about this money but imagine Yair Lapid’s speeches and headlines if the chareidim would receive 30 billion NIS.

“How can you give them 30 billion NIS, they don’t serve in the army, don’t carrry an equal burden, they even harm those who serve in the army. How can the left give such a sum and nobody even submits a petition to the court against this? How did it pass so quietly?”