The new government is expected to increase funding for yeshivas and their students in Israel by as much as 100%, which could potentially lead to widespread public criticism.
The increase in funding is said to have been agreed upon during negotiations between ultra-Orthodox parties and Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who attempts to form a new coalition.
Israel has so far subsidized married and unmarried Haredi yeshiva students, using a set amount of the state’s budget without factoring in the physical numbers of such students in total, causing the funding to increase as the population continues to grow.
Now, as part of the negotiations with Netanyahu, the ultra-Orthodox party leaders are asking for a set amount of NIS 730 for Haredi youth yeshiva students, and NIS 1,314 for adult ones.
An estimate made by Shas, United Torah Judaism and Religious Zionism on the total number of the ultra-Orthodox and religious students in the Haredi population suggests that new annual funding will stands at NIS 2.5 billion – twice the current amount.
A source involved in the coalition talks said the budget will likely balloon as years go by due to the rapid demographical growth rate of the ultra-Orthodox communities. "It will reach NIS 3 billion very fast,” he said.
The funding for single yeshiva students who still live with their parents will not be transferred to them directly, but will intead be used for the operation of other ultra-Orthodox bodies. Funding for married students will be given to them as a stipend under the condition they will study Torah as their full-time job.
Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman criticized the decision to double the funding, saying, “The priorities are reversed. I’ve increased the income of IDF soldiers by 50% as the finance minister, while the emerging government will double the income of yeshiva students. We’ll work for those serving in the IDF, working and paying taxes from the opposition.”
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also protested the decision. "The program to increase funding for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students is an ethical and economic misstep, which will harm Hardi youth and the future of Israel.
"The increased funding will encourage more Haredi youth not to enter the workforce, or acquire a profession, since it’s easier to stay in their yeshiva.”
"Throughout the years I have worked to increase the rate of employment in the ultra-Orthodox community, and was the first to build a real plan which we enacted under my government.”
Ephraim, a resident of Jerusalem, has justified the upcoming dramatic increase in funding. “I understand that reading the headlines and reading of a 100% increase - it seems bad, but it is due to population growth, nothing more. We, the students, won’t get an increase."
He also said: “When it comes down to it, I’ll have to live frugally with NIS 2,000-2,500 per months, which is a ridiculous sum.”
There also members of the ultra-Orthodox community who fear that increasing the budget will harm the yeshiva students. “Basically, the increase in budget is justified, especially after the former government, who gave dozens of billions to the Arab community,” a Haredi activist said.
“But this could also lead to criticism in the future,” he added. “You need to admit, sometimes the appetite of ultra-Orthodox party leaders is much larger than their minds."