MK Gafni: Budget Must Include Increased Allocations To Yeshivos And Kollelim

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — While most of the chareidi MKs appear resigned to the fact that the draft law will be deferred due to the harsh public criticism in recent weeks, MK Moshe Gafni, who heads the Knesset’s finance committee, is demanding that the new budget include the additional allotments to yeshivos and kollelim in accordance with the coalition agreements.

Gafni claims that the coalition agreement included a significant raise in the stipends for yeshiva and kollel students, whereas the current budget does not include the agreed sums but rather much smaller sums.

Currently most chareidi members of the government have said that they will vote for the budget despite the fact that the draft law has yet to pass. The chasidic faction headed by Yitzchak Goldknopf has yet to agree to defer the draft law, and apparently the Admorim who lead the Agudah faction are insisting that the law not be deferred again.

According to the coalition agreement, all the chareidi factions must be unanimous in their agreements and therefore if even one faction opposes delaying the draft law, the chareidi parties will not accept such a deferment.

The budget must be passed by the end of May or the government will fall, but Gafni hopes to at least arrange the increased allotments for the yeshiva students within the new budget.