Another component of the coalition agreements signed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is in line with the recommendations of the Trachtenberg Committee addressing state support for mosdos for talmidim from abroad. The new arrangement will eliminate the possibility of state funding for mosdos for talmidim who are not citizens or permanent residents of Israel, i.e. those talmidim studying in a yeshiva that live abroad.
The agreements also compel any school receiving state funding to include ‘core subjects’ as outlined in the Education Ministry’s curriculum, and those mosdos failing to comply will lose state funding.
Within 60 days of the new coalition being sworn in, the government will amend the minimal Kupat Cholim and Bituach Leumi payments of 121 NIS monthly. These funds provided those learning with health and Bituach Leumi insurance, and the new arrangement will set a maximum entitlement for these benefits of seven years. The new arrangement will demand payment in line with one earning minimum wages as a guide for monthly payment.
New criteria are being set into place regarding eligibility for daycare for parents who are not working. Today, parents studying full time for a bachelors degree in an accredited institute of learning are eligible as are those learning full time in a kollel. Under the new arrangement, one studying full time for a bachelors, masters or doctorate may benefit up to five years beginning in the 2013 fiscal year. This will include avreichim in kollel.
The coalition will have a vaad addressing the need for lower priced affordable state subsidized housing and this vaad will be headed by Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid. Other vaad members will include Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni (The Movement), Housing Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Uri Ariel, Environmental Minister Amir Peretz (The Movement), Agriculture Minister Yair Shamir (Yisrael Beitenu), Interior Minister (Likud), Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) and Minister of Energy & Water ?
Within 30 days, the new housing minister will announce the new criteria for state subsidized housing. One of the current criteria, the number of years one is married will be eliminated and in its place will be a family’s earning power, which works against kollel couples.
Another priority for the new administration is changing the form of government, which will go into effect with the 20th Knesset. This will include a cabinet of a maximum of 18 ministers (19 including the prime minister), a maximum of 4 deputy ministers, the elimination of ministers-without-portfolio, and locking this into place so that a majority of 70 or more MKs will be required to compel a change. “No confidence” will require 65 or more votes, and the minimum threshold to enter Knesset in an election will be 4% (5 seats).
The Basic Law will be amended. Any bill that will cost taxpayers over 50 million NIS will require approval from at least 61 MKs.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
8 Responses
All fair and sensible…
Excellent.
By requiring a super-majority to vote no-confidence you create the possibility of American style government. The Prime Minister might not be able to get anything passed, but only needs 56 votes to prevent being fired – so he stays in office but can’t get anything done. A parliamentary system assume that the Pirme Minsiter controls parliament, and breaks down when that doesn’t occur meaning new elections are held. If they want a strong-leader system, they should switch to one (based on largely fixed terms, and separation of legislative and executive powers). Either they want a system based on Britain or one based on America – but a mix won’t work.
Requiring 70 percent to change a law that was put into place by a simple majority is undemocratic. The 4 percent will help the large parties and eliminate the “maase Ammon” experience that Shas had to deal with. It will also put pressure on Meretz, nail the coffin on Kedima, and perhaps on livni’s movement as well.
The typical student from abroad brings in about $20K into the Israeli economy. While many will stop coming due to the next policy on conscription (for fear they will be drafted if any on the family had lived in Israel in the last 70 years), the small pittance used to subsidize them is money well spent. In economic terms, the money spent by foreign students, being new to the Israeli economy, is subject to a full fledged Keynesian multiplier – meaning it is a very efficent stimulus. It would be good capitalist economics to encourage foreign students to come to Israel and spend their dollars, pounds and even euros.
the gedolim always warned against doing business with the reshaim whose ultimate goal is to uundermine Torah bikedusha
Will they start taxing ‘tourist’ that come for summmer camps or people that come for Yarchei kalla?
Going after forighn stundets is a very foolish mistake which revels their anti-Torah motives.
Ben-Gurion was known to exclaim, better 1 neturei-kartanik in Yerushalayim than 10 Zionists in Chicago.