Moshe Kahlon relents and raises yeshiva budget

Moshe Gafni
Moshe Gafni

The Minister of Finance had previously called Knesset Finance Committee chairman Moshe Gafni "insufferable" on the subject.

The Ministry of Finance bowed to the demands of Knesset Finance Committee chairman MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), and added NIS 80 million to the budget for yeshivas (Jewish law academies). The request for added funds will be submitted for approval at the next cabinet meeting.

The request marks the end of a conflict in recent weeks between Gafni and the Ministry of Finance, which accused him of extortion because he refused to approve NIS 14 billion in budget transfers before his demands were granted.

Gafni claimed that he was delaying approval for the transfers because of "lack of transparency," since the transfers had not been conducted according to the new procedure cited by the Ministry of Finance to the High Court of Justice in response to a petition by MK Stav Shaffir (Zionist Union). Gafni's argument won backing from Shaffir and other opposition MKs. It now remains to see whether the additional budget transfer will solve the problem of transparency in the Ministry of Finance's actions.

Holding up NIS 14 billion in transfers for two months had an increasingly negative impact on the functioning of government ministries. Before giving in, Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon spoke harshly against Gafni at a meeting of the coalition faction leaders on Monday, calling Gafni's behavior "insufferable." Kahlon previously sent Ministry of Finance director general Shai Babad and Erez Halfon, his former chief-of-staff, to Gafni in attempt to solve the crisis. Gafni's associates asserted that Babad and Halfon offered Gafni the position of Minister of Economy and Industry, but associates of Kahlon strongly denied this.

The supplement brings the 2016 budget for yeshivas to NIS 1.119 billion. The Hiddush for Religious Freedom and Equality non-profit organization said that this figure was an all-time high, with the previous record of NIS 1.032 billion coming in 2011. Hiddush added that the budget for yeshivas had been raised from NIS 564 million in 2014 to NIS 984 million at the beginning of 2016, a 74% increase.

Hiddush president and CEO Rabbi and Adv. Uri Regev said in response, "Gafni is breaking the record for extortion again and again, and the government is breaking records in giving in to extortion. It's doubtful whether any other budget in the country grew at such a dizzying rate as the budget for yeshivas. (Minister of Education and Jewish Home Party chairman Naftali) Bennett talks about advanced mathematics studies and invests in yeshivas. Kahlon talks about solving the housing crisis and invests in yeshivas. (Minister of Defense and Yisrael Beitenu Party chairman Avigdor) Liberman talks about defense needs, but gives in on sharing the burden of army service and allows an increase in the budget for yeshivas. Increasing the budget for yeshivas directly undermines the national effort to put haredi (Jewish ultra-Orthodox) men to work. It amounts to selling the future of Israel and the economy for mess of governmental pottage. The Knesset Finance Committee has never had such a sector-identified, belligerent, and violent chairman as Gafni. Instead of halting Gafni's robbery of the public purse or replacing him, as most of the public wants, (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and Kahlon repeatedly surrender to Gafni, teaching him that hooliganism pays."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 16, 2016

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2016

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