United Torah Judaism presented a series of demands to Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu regarding problems the chareidi public faces,
particularly the need for a real breakthrough in dealing with the
housing crisis and legislating the Talmud Torah Law.
The party told Netanyahu that if these issues are not resolved soon,
the party would not be able to vote with the coalition on government
initiatives.
The most pressing needs for the chareidi public are currently as
follows:
First, a practical solution to the housing crisis caused by government
red tape and expensive construction taxes imposed by the Finance
Ministry.
Second, legislating the Talmud Torah Law to prevent the High Court
from imposing the Core Curriculum and annulling the decrees against
the chareidi education system, including a new decree that requires
principals to receive the approval of the director of the Education
Ministry.
Third, UTJ representatives are demanding the legislation of a "fair
representation" law, similar to the quotas arranged for Arabs, women
and Ethiopians. The Knesset is set to approve the Ethiopians Law and
UTJ is demanding that chareidim be included as well. At the same time
UTJ members lobbied for a government decision that would make Torah
study weighted the same as academic degrees in the civil service
ranking system.
"Before the government sees to the formation of a Palestinian state,"
said Party Chairman MK Rabbi Yisrael Eichler, "it should see to
employment for Jews and a roof over their heads."
On the issue of housing, Rabbi Eichler laid forth a series of steps
that the party is demanding prior to the execution of the major
government decisions on real estate market reforms: doubling
apartment subsidies for tenants unable to secure housing due to price
hikes in the rental market, a mortgage subsidies law not only for the
geographic periphery, but for the economic periphery as well, the
inclusion of chareidi communities in every experimental housing
assistance program, restoring purchasing grants for home buyers in
Jerusalem and its environs, issuing tenders where preference is given
to contractors who offer the lowest final purchasing price, discounts
for developing land in selected areas and a series of other steps that
were in place until the first Sharon government removed them.
The UTJ members stressed to the Prime Minister that these matters must
be carried out in the immediate future, "otherwise we won't be able to
justify our presence in the coalition. Without educational
independence, housing for young couples and employment, there's no
reason for us to support coalition bills."
