MK member Galit Distal-Atbaryan from the Likud is not afraid to saying what lies on her heart, even if there are many — truly many — who reject her style. Not even Prime Minister Netanyahu, who organized a seat for her in the Knesset after she enthusiastically rooted for him everywhere, voicing her support publicly. She does not define herself as religious and has no background of the kind. And yet, she stood up in the Knesset plenum in avid defense of the budget for Torah students and even touted the importance of Torah students for the protection of the Jewish people.
This is unquestionably a rare voice to be heard in this place and surely made everyone sit and take note. Not that we need her voice for reassurance that Torah is the only genuine source of Jewish defense and protection, but certainly, the reward for her words will stand her in good stead. In her words:
I see that each time the topic of chareidim surfaces, even if we are talking about teachers involved in the program of "Ofek Chadash - A New Horizon" who earn a bit more than the minimum wage, all of a sudden, everyone is up in arms. As one whose entire family exercises its army service, as a tax-paying citizen and one who belongs to the secular world, I ask why don't we internalize one of the finest principles of Judaism of 'one foot here, one foot there.'
Torah students are not wasteful. I desire and am interested in giving them money. I believe that one of the best places where I would want my tax money to go is to talmidei chachamim.
Here's why: from the pinnacles of my academic intellect and the taxes I pay throughout my life, and despite the military service of my entire family, I do believe wholeheartedly and am not ashamed to declare this, that those who study Torah and pray, are the very ones who protect our soldiers in Zahal.
A foot here, a foot there. A foot of action and a foot of prayer. Why must the one be at the cost of the other? Why not embrace an interactive-Jewish spiritual world view which protects us, guards over us, alongside the fighters who also protect and watch over us - this, in effect, is what the majority of Jews believe in, but is embarrassed to say so out of fear, or not. The Torah also protects us, and not only 'the might of my arm'. Is that not so?
