As students: After a lengthy process by MKs Moshe Gafni and Zevulun Kalfa, Israel Railways this week began granting yeshiva students from the southern region a free train travel benefit, similar to that enjoyed by students studying in the southern region.
MKs Gafni and Kalfa held up huge budgets for Israel Railways in the Knesset Finance Committee, in order to clarify why only secular students receive this benefit, compared to students of Seder yeshiva and Torah yeshiva who do not receive a benefit that was announced for a limited time - to encourage train passengers in the southern region.
After discussions held by the Knesset members and their assistants with the management of Israel Railways, it was determined that a yeshiva student in Sderot, Ofakim, and other settlements in the area would be able to receive the benefit on the train, upon presentation of a document signed by the head of the yeshiva. Also, for the purpose of the benefit, the Knesset members' offices forwarded the list of students studying in yeshiva in the southern region to the railway, for the purpose of cross-referencing the data.
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MK Gafni said that this is a correction of a significant distortion. "The Haredi public is discriminated against in everything, including public transportation. This time, it is a change of trend when, after a long struggle, yeshiva students are finally being compared to students. I hope that this activity will lead to a continuation of the trend in other areas of transportation where yeshiva students are disadvantaged." Seminary girls also received this benefit on Israel Railways.
MK Zevulun Kalfa said: "We demanded that the railway management equalize the conditions. It is not possible that a secular student who lives in the south will receive a benefit and a guy who studies in a yeshiva will not receive it. I regret that we were forced to withhold budgets and act to correct the injustice that should have been clear and obvious that everyone deserves it equally.".
