On 29 Cheshvan, the Knesset Finance Committee decided to
include a chareidi town in the prime minister's targeted
assistance program.
The Government had formerly approved an annual budget of NIS
1,144 million for the granting of special relief to eleven
economically deprived cities or towns. No chareidi town was
included though many qualify. Rabbi Meir Porush demanded
that the Committee conduct a discussion on the question of
why this was the case.
The meeting was slated for 24 Cheshvan. However the director
of the Office of the Prime Minister, Yossi Kucik, did not
appear at the meeting to clarify the decision. At the
request of MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, member of the Finance
Committee, the meeting was postponed by a week in order to
enable Kucik to explain his position.
Committee chairman MK Eli Goldschmidt (One Israel) said that
all committee members agree that discrimination against
chareidi places is inappropriate. Rabbi Porush asked why
whenever an issue affecting chareidim is on the agenda, a
need for special efforts and requests arises. "Why isn't it
possible once and for all to allocate funds for the chareidi
sector like all other sectors?" he asked. Kucik explained at
length the steps leading to the choice of places to receive
special assistance, and said that the request to include a
chareidi city or town will be dealt with shortly.
