Agoyi's fight against the budget: Minister of Housing and Construction Yitzhak Goldknopf sent a letter last night to Degel chairman MK Moshe Gafni, demanding that he join the Agoyi faction's fight against the budget - until the budgets of yeshiva, kollelim, and 'exempt' institutions are retroactively revised.
Last night, the Agudat Yisrael faction announced, after an all-night meeting at Minister Goldknopf's home, that it is expected to oppose the state budget as long as their budgetary demands for the benefit of Haredi education are not met, as agreed upon in the coalition agreement.
This is a demand to amend the yeshiva and kollel budgets retroactively to the beginning of 2023.
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
This budgetary addition is estimated at over half a billion shekels, and Treasury officials have made it clear that they will not allow the budget, which has already been approved for second and third readings in the Finance Committee, to be breached.
But for now, Degel is keeping silent - and not joining the fight.
In his letter, Minister Goldknopf demands that Magfni join the demand and threat.
""In the negotiations that took place with the Likud faction, we jointly discussed several key issues, such as the status of yeshiva students (the conscription law that has not yet been settled), yeshiva and kollel budgets retroactively, kosher institutions, exempt institutions, and rental payments," the Housing Minister wrote.
The chairman of United Torah Judaism adds and writes: "This is a clear and painful violation of the coalition agreement, which was signed only a few months ago between United Torah Judaism and Likud. An agreement that is supposed to give the electorate what we promised them on election night.".
""We warn in advance that failure to implement the full agreement, which concerns the yeshiva and kollel processes, will, God forbid, harm the financial ability of the Torah world to exist and may directly impact hundreds of thousands of workers and Torah students in kollel and yeshiva.".
Therefore, our firm demand and request is that all of us - the United Torah Judaism faction - will not lend our hand to such a budget.
""Until the expected amendment of all of the above-mentioned sections, we will be forced to vote against the budget. We must make it clear to the Prime Minister that he does not have a mandate to ignore what was agreed upon in the coalition agreement.".
