At the direction of Treasury Minister Lapid, Minister of Education Piron cancelled the entire budget that helped fund the study of foreign yeshiva students. For the remaining months of 2013 the support will be reduced by 30 percent, and it will stop entirely in 2014. No cuts were made in programs for foreign students in any other institution besides yeshivas. "This is personal persecution of yeshiva students," said Rabbi Moshe Gafni.
Support for foreign yeshiva students is said to be a good deal for the government, as it brings in foreign currency and is a very reasonable way to encourage more people to move to Israel.
Rabbi Gafni said that he would consider filing an appeal to the Israeli High court as the move seems to unfairly discriminate against yeshivas students.
