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1 Kislev 5760 - November 10, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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News
Cooperation Between Religious Parties on Budget Deliberations

by Yated Ne'eman Staff

On the 24th of Cheshvan, a meeting of the religious lobby was held in the Knesset. At the meeting it was decided that all religious parties would fully cooperate in votes on the budget which are slated to take place in the Knesset committees and plenum. It was also decided that a delegation from the religious lobby will soon meet with the Finance Minister.

Chairman of the lobby Rabbi Shmuel Halpert presented startling data about the proposed budget cuts. The sword of the budget cuts cut deeply in all of the religious and chareidi clauses and throughout all government ministries. As examples, Rabbi Halpert noted large cuts in the budgets of the yeshivos, Chinuch Atzmai, Torah-culture activities, the Maayan Hachinuch HaTorani network, rental apartments and others. He then mentioned two other problems: a new injunction which states that budgets will not be allotted to institutions during their first two years of operation, and the canceling of rent subsidies and local grants in Elad- Mazor and Kiryat Sefer.

Minister of Labor and Welfare Eli Yishai presented a report about expected cuts in his ministry, and suggested ways of preventing them.

Zevulun Orlev reported on the cuts in Mafdal-related institutions and on his efforts to oppose them.

Rabbi Moshe Gafni reported on the struggle in the Finance Committee and on the cooperation among its religious members.

Deputy Education Minister Meshulem Nahari warned about the shocking deprivation in the chareidi school dormitories as compared with dormitories in the secular sector. This has occurred, he said, even though the vocational department in the Education Ministry has validated the fact that such deprivation has been taking place for a number of years.

The Chairman of the Religious Lobby told the participants that past experience has shown that if the religious parties remain united during budget struggles, significant achievements are possible. Rabbi Halpert proposed the election of a smaller committee to include representatives of all religious parties, with the goal of meeting in the near future with the Finance Minister. This committee will formulate a document detailing all its demands.


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