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Yerach Toker

Stop calling haredim 'extortionists'

Op-ed: As citizens of Israel, the ultra-Orthodox are entitled to ask the state to properly fund the important world of Torah study.

"The new government, which will begin working these days, has gained the people's trust and the consent of most Knesset members, and must be allowed to do its job." This is how one of the members of the previous coalition began his Knesset speech.

  

 

I have chosen to begin this article with these exact same words in order to try to understand why when you're a member of the government you accept the voters' wish, the majority in the Knesset, and when you're not part of the government you suddenly talk about sectorial extortion, political bribery and an illegitimate government.

 

Why is it that when one wants to pass a zero-VAT plan for new homes, which would cost of billions of shekels a year, it's considered a legitimate economic issue, but when one wants to give a bit more money to weak populations through child allowances, it's extortion?

 

Why is it that when Bayit Yehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett seeks to maximize the bargaining in the coalition negotiations and gets his party another minister, he is considered "the big winner," but when Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri asks for positions, he is a sectorial minister who received a political bribe?

 

Prime Minister Netanyahu signs coalition deal with Shas leader Aryeh Deri. The public coffer belongs to all of Israel's citizens (Photo: New Media Likud)
Prime Minister Netanyahu signs coalition deal with Shas leader Aryeh Deri. The public coffer belongs to all of Israel's citizens (Photo: New Media Likud)

 

The ultra-Orthodox parties' demands for budgets for the world of Torah can be accepted or not accepted. The way I see it, these demands are no different from the demands of the settlers who get huge sums from the state, the kibbutzim which have received billions from the state over the years, from the budgeting of the world of culture, arts and sports which the haredim don't enjoy at all, and from the funding of different bodies, for example Nativ, which Yisrael Beytenu made sure to give huge sums from the state's coffer.

 

The public coffer belongs to all of Israel's citizens, and the haredi public is also entitled to demand different budgets for the goals it views as important. As a person who cares a bit more about the world of Torah than about theater, I would like to see one yeshiva in the country which has received NIS 100 million (about $25 million) like Habima Theater got for renovating its building. I would like to see mathematical budgetary comparisons of the money received by the Planning and Budgeting Committee and higher education system in Israel, which have budgets of billions of shekels, and the money received by yeshivot, which are parallel educational institutions in the haredi sector.

 

During a recent visit to Rome, I ran into an Italian man dressed like an ancient warrior with a Roman helmet on his head and a traditional sword in his hand. I wanted to pose for a picture with him and asked how much it would cost me. "Nothing, come on," the guy placed his hand on my shoulder and began singing. I asked for more and more pictures and videos, with and without the helmet, with and without the sword.

 

When we finished smiling, I took 5 euros out of my pocket. The guy stared at me and almost started a fight: "You should be ashamed of yourself! At least 100 euros!" After exhausting negotiations, I was forced to bid farewell to 40 euros for this dubious experience.

 

That's what happens when your mind is diverted by melodies and acts, instead of being able to look at things and examine them according to the proper standards. Don't let the melodies of "extortionists," "political bribery" and "haredim exploiting the state's coffer" confuse you.

 

The haredim are not extortionists. They are citizens of the State of Israel, and as such, they expect and ask the state to properly fund the yeshivot and world of Torah study as well. It's a legitimate request made by an Israeli citizen who pays his taxes, although he wouldn't want them to fund art, culture, sports, kibbutzim, settlements and what not.

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.12.15, 21:53
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