Throughout this Knesset term, the Reform bloc has been keeping tabs on the activity of the chareidi representatives. The deputy CEO of this faction, Shachar Ilan, former parliamentary correspondent of Ha'aretz newspaper, publicized the findings, that painfully (for him) affirm, "The 18th Knesset failed miserably in dealing with the topics of religious freedom and sharing responsibility." "Religious freedom" is the Reform code word for recognizing and support Reform activities, and "sharing responsibility" is the code word for drafting yeshiva students.
In the report filed by Chidush (an acronym composed of the Hebrew words "chofesh dat veshivyon"), he wrote that "the 18th Knesset failed to solved the burning issues of military service for yeshiva students, women's rights or the conversion crisis. It passed the law of marital contracts for those of undeclared religion, which only exacerbated the situation on the marriage front." Further on, the report states, "In other issues like the Core curriculum for education or the winter clock (extending daylight savings time), the Knesset showed ineffectual helplessness and failed to remedy the standing state of affairs."
The organization could only conclude that from its standpoint, "To our dismay, we cannot have said to score any single gain whatsoever in this past Knesset term regarding state and religion." Shachar Ilan and the Israel Chidush Association continue to numerate the past Knesset's failings and write, "In the subject of amending the law of military deferment for yeshiva students, the Knesset failed miserably in the challenge of passing an alternate law to assure equality of military accountability." This, despite "vigorous and impressive" activity of the supervisory team headed by MK Yochanan Plesner throughout the term.
In the summary of the report, Ilan writes that thee are five issues which his organization feels must be dealt with successfully in the upcoming Knesset: "A civil government which shall establish religious freedom and equality of responsibility, civil marriage and divorce, universal mandatory military service, either military or civil, at age 18, an educational institution which does not implement a full Core curriculum shall not receive a government budget, and that the leadership of the Knesset Finance Committee be given over to a party representing the majority." Here, then, are five reasons why the chareidi representation in the upcoming Knesset must be a strong one.
Hypocrisy Reigns: Thus do Chareidi Bashers Cash In
Half a year ago, MK Rabbi Gafni, chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, exposed the true face of these chareidi bashers when he revealed from the Knesset podium how much they rake in from various donations, while they accuse chareidim of being parasites.
From the 2010 financial report of the Chidush Association submitted to the Justice Department and publicized by Rabbi Gafni, it emerges that the total income of this group from donations stands at 1.5 million shekel, with the large majority, over two thirds, going for the salaries of its two top officials, Uri Regev and Shachar Ilan.
The report disclosed that in 2010, Regev's salary stood at NIS 661,579 a year (about $165,000), while Ilan's was NIS 347,290 per annum (about $81,000). The bulk of the monetary support for this came from Stanley Gold from his personal family foundation abroad, but, as mentioned, most of the organization's funds went to financing those two salaries and most of the rest went for office expenses.
For comparison's sake, an office secretary earns in Israel paid above the minimum wage only NIS 40,000 a year, in contrast to the above inflated wages. Regarding the exposure of the organization's financial report, MK Rabbi Gafni, chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, wryly said that it speaks for itself. "It is inconceivable that in Israel, an association recognized by the government operates solely in order to bash an entire segment of the Israeli population, to foment hatred and dissension within the nation and to grant such huge salaries to two people whose only efforts are to incite, vilify and slander the chareidi sector. This, in itself, is a disgrace of no parallel. The population which is the object of their incessant slurs, chooses to live a life of simplicity and self-sufficiency and would never dream of salaries of that size."
At the time, Chidush responded that it was founded with the active help of businessman Stanley Gold as a framework to struggle for freedom of religion and sharing the responsibilities and it receives not a cent from taxpayers. Its activities are based on the efforts of the former head of the Reform movement Attorney Uri Regev and senior journalist Shachar Ilan. Both of them earned significantly more in their previous positions and their going to work for Chidush involved a substantial cut in their salaries.
