The Israeli Finance Minister (and nationalist right wing politician) is terminating childcare benefits to able-bodied Ultra-Orthodox Israelis Yeshiva students who refuse to work.
These students spend their time at Yeshiva (religious study) instead of working, and are supported by a government stipend and their wives, who work.
This measure was implemented a few years back, and quickly reversed under a Netanyahu government, because he needed the Heredim (Ultra Orthodox) parties in his coalition.
I am generally opposed to work requirements for social programs, because they make it more difficult for people to get themselves to a better place, but these folks are already where they want to be, and have no intention of even looking for a way to support themselves.
They like to think of themselves as scholars, but they are schnorrers (free loaders).
What's worse, they are doing so in violation of millennia old Jewish commentary, as it is said in Pirkei Avot 4:5, "On studying Torah, "Rabbi Zadok said: do not make them a crown for self-exaltation, nor a spade with which to dig."
It is literally un-Jewish to use the Torah as an excuse to sponge off of the rest of society.
Also, it is entirely possible to study Torah while working, or studying at a secular school, for 24 hours a week.
This is an overwhelmingly good thing, and popular with most of the Israeli populace as well:
Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman on Wednesday revoked the eligibility of fathers studying full-time in yeshiva for child care subsidies, enraging ultra-Orthodox political leaders.
In order to be eligible for such subsidies, fathers will need to work or study in a nonreligious educational institute for at least 24 hours a week, something that would preclude full-time yeshiva study.
United Torah Judaism leader Moshe Gafni called Liberman “an evil man” for the policy change, while Shas chairman Arye Deri described the decision as “destructive and wicked.”
Liberman said the changes were designed to prioritize “those who work and pay taxes.”
………
The subsidies amount to between NIS 900 and NIS 1,300 per child, and in total around 130,000 families benefit from the subsidies every year, with the Labor and Welfare Ministry spending some NIS 1.2 billion on these benefits, approximately a third of which went to ultra-Orthodox families.
Liberman has argued, however, that the subsidies were originally designed to encourage women, as well as men, to participate in the workforce, not to subsidize full-time yeshiva study by men.
At the beginning of 2020, around 53% of ultra-Orthodox men were employed, compared to more than 85% of non-ultra-Orthodox men.
The subsidies comprise a significant portion of an ultra-Orthodox family’s household income, and canceling them will cause immediate financial problems for such families.
………
“The current mechanism [of subsidies] harms working parents and gives preference to those who do not work, and therefore change is needed,” he continued, saying he would “continue to advance steps that will abolish disincentives to integrating into the workforce.”
People should not study Torah because it beats working for a living.
It's a positive move by the current Israeli government, but I feel queasy because of Liberman is a complete turd.
I seem to be saying that a lot these days.
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