170 local authority heads sent a strong letter today (Sunday) to the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Finance and Education - protesting the clause in the coalition agreements that requires them to fund 'official, unrecognized' Haredi educational institutions, and against what they call "the usurpation of local authorities' powers in education.".
Mayors Moshe Leon and Aliza Bloch did not sign the letter. The mayor of Ramla withdrew it.
The coalition agreement with United Torah Judaism states regarding the expansion of the 'Nahari Law' that "until the 2023 budget is passed, the government will amend Section 11A of the State Education Law, in such a way that local authority participation in the budgets of recognized, unofficial educational institutions will also apply to kindergartens, exempt institutions, and secondary education institutions. The Ministry of Education will deduct from the budget of a local authority that does not fulfill its obligations in accordance with the Nahari Law.".
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The letter from the head of the authorities states: "We will not agree to favor one population over another by bypassing the considerations of the local authority. We will not allow a route that bypasses a local authority in favor of establishing informal educational institutions, and we will not allow the state to expropriate through agreements the authority and responsibility of the local government for the benefit of the residents.".
The heads of the authorities added and wrote: "We strongly oppose the expansion of the 'Nahari Law', which requires local authorities to budget for educational institutions that are not official educational institutions in their areas. The 'Nahari Law', from the outset, contradicts the fundamental principle of local government non-involvement in the issue of education in the non-formal education system. Recognition of non-official educational institutions is done by the state, and therefore the state is the one that should budget for these institutions. We will not agree to place this enormous financial burden on local authorities, which are required to finance the official educational services in their areas from their current budgets.".
The heads of the authorities, led by the chairman of the Local Government Center, Haim Bibas, further wrote: "We strongly oppose the transfer of the local GFN budgets (the 'local basket' budget) to any entity other than the local authority. This budget is intended to allow the local authority to implement the municipal education policy for all students in the authority, from the age of 3 to the age of 18, in formal and informal activities. We will not agree to favor one population over another, while bypassing the considerations of the local authority and the head of the local education authority by virtue of law, in creating solutions tailored to the residents of the authority.".
The heads of local government later referred to the areas of educational institutions: "There is already a huge shortage of classrooms in official educational institutions, and local authorities are required to find creative solutions in order to provide buildings in which official education students can study.".
According to them, "there is already a huge shortage of brownfield sites for public construction, and local authorities are forced to prioritize construction according to the most pressing needs in the authority.".
The letter caused a stir after it was signed by mayors who were elected with the votes of ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Media figure Avraham Greenzig responded: "Outrage in the Haredi parties over Greenberg (Petah Tikva), Revivo (Lod) and Kalis Rotem (Haifa). Three mayors who were elected by the votes of the Haredi and need the support of the Haredi in their cities, but signed the letter.".
Lod Mayor Yair Revivo responded to the criticism directed at him following the signing of the document: "This is a serious takeaway. In the last 3 years, we have built 50 kindergartens and 10 schools for the Haredi public, and most of the budget came from the municipality's coffers instead of the state fully funding it.".
""My signature on the 'Mayors' document' in question, which was sent to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Education, speaks to the fact that the state should be the one to bear the budgetary burden. I have always supported increasing budgets and building for the Haredi population, as I have done successfully for many years, but the request is, as stated, that the state budget for this and not the authorities.
""Every Haredi resident living in Lod knows that the Haredi public receives some of the best education and educational facilities in Israel, as in every other sector in Lod. On the contrary, I hope for the day when the law of the schools of the Mokhshar will be like the state schools. A Haredi child is no different from a secular child, no different from an Arab child. The state must budget 100% for the construction, maintenance, and salaries of teachers and staff for every institution in the State of Israel.
""When this doesn't happen - the burden either falls on the local authorities or on the parents and the networks that operate it. All of this must stop and it's a shame that a letter that came to help was interpreted as coming to harm.".
