Livni: No room for this in democracy
Photo: Itzik Edry
Livni: Politicians to blame for haredi parents' conduct
Addressing case of discrimination in girls' school, opposition leader says politicians don't accept High Court rulings, making its intervention necessary
Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni accused unspecified "politicians" Tuesday for an announcement by religious parents that they would prefer to go to prison than alter school rules deemed discriminatory by the High Court of Justice.
"I have heard that there is a group of people who have said ahead of time that they refuse to accept a High Court decision," Livni told a conference in Netanya.
Court Order
Aviad Glickman
High Court justices decide to put end to bureaucracy holding up implementation of ruling against discrimination between Ashkenazi and Sephardic pupils, say parent who fails to abide decision will be jailed for two weeks
"There is no room for such sayings in a democratic state. I am not a fan of the High Court's involvement in all issues, but when the political and state leadership does not accept decisions based on the values of the State of Israel, the High Court has no choice."
Earlier, the court gave parents of girls attending a school whose policies were deemed discriminating against Sephardim students a choice of either changing those policies by Wednesday or going to prison for two weeks.
The justices wrote in their verdict that the parents had violated a court order saying the discrimination was based on race and not religion. They added that the order did not require the approval of a rabbi.
Livni also spoke of a High Court ruling against providing yeshiva students with state-funded benefits, because the practice distinguishes between yeshiva students and students of other institutions.
"I believe that in Israel there is room for the world of the yeshivas beside the world of education, but it's sad that one comes at the expense of the other and discriminates against it," she said.
