Degel HaTorah MKs Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz and Rabbi Moshe Gafni
met with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister's Office
Director Ilan Cohen, Government Secretary Yisrael Maimon and
their respective assistants on Monday.
When the Prime Minister charged that Degel HaTorah had failed
to support the government in all Knesset votes, including no-
confidence votes, the Degel HaTorah MKs replied that they,
too, have yet to see several matters in the coalition
agreement honored, including a solution to the issue of
chareidi education and the appointment of an oversight body
to handle funding for yeshivas and kollelim—even
though Degel HaTorah has already submitted its list of names
of the committee members.
Later the MKs complained to the Prime Minister about the
failure to find a funding solution for the chareidi education
system, including transportation to Chinuch Atzmai schools
and kindergartens. They also raised the issue of the
appointment of dayanim, saying that the current
situation of incomplete benches in botei din harms the
public.
The issue of religious services was also discussed. The MKs
mentioned various problems and demanded the Chief Rabbis
receive a draft of the report to convey their proposals
regarding the reorganization of religious services. They also
raised the issue of the religious councils in general and the
Jerusalem Religious Council in particular.
The two Degel HaTorah MKs argued that for years the
partnership between the Likud and the chareidi public was
formulated in such a way that the Likud ran general issues of
state policy with the chareidi public's support, while
religious issues, primarily issues of rabbonim and the
rabbinate, were run by the rabbonim. "Recently the Likud
decided to try to run this issue as well, a reality Degel
HaTorah will not agree to under any circumstances, and
therefore the Prime Minister cannot present claims regarding
various votes by [Degel HaTorah] members," they told
Sharon.
Other issues, such as housing grants in chareidi communities,
were also discussed. A follow-up meeting is scheduled to take
place in the coming days.
