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NEWS
New Israeli Government Budget has News for Chareidim
by Yated Ne'eman Staff
For the first time ever, one of the original goals of Degel Hatorah
was achieved: the entire government support for yeshivas was included
in the basic budget and not in special allocations. About a billion
shekels are included in the budgets for fiscal 2011 and 2012 that were
passed by the Knesset on Wednesday.
As long as the government support for basic chareidi educational
institutions was provided through special allocations, it was
necessary for chareidi politicians to struggle every year to secure
the support. This brought attention to the support given to chareidi
institutions and exposed them to unjustified media attacks since
chareidi politicians were visibly working to secure funds for chareidi
institutions. Hostile critics accused chareidi politicians of
illegitimate blackmail even when the budgets just covered the basic
schooling of chareidi children.
Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee Rabbi Moshe Gafni, who has
been working towards this goal since he entered the Knesset more than
20 years ago, said that the current budget is the best ever for the
chareidi community. He said the budget includes funds for income
support for avreichim, the government funding of all chareidi
education that it funds, including girls' high schools and seminaries,
elementary schools, kindergartens, and boys' dormitory schools.
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