For a first time since the general elections Bayit Yehudi leader Minister Naftali Bennett released a harsh criticism against Yesh Atid leader Minister Yair Lapid. Bennett stated the constant attacks against the chareidi tzibur are causing damage.

He made the comments in a closed forum held on Wednesday 21 Iyar 5773 in Masuot Yitzchak. Bennett addressed his ministry’s efforts towards bringing more chareidim into the national workforce. This led to a question, seeking his opinion on recent incidents in which Lapid and his deputy, Mickey Levy, got into shouting matches with chareidi elected officials.

Bennett responded “Today, 30% of elementary school students are chareidi. The problem is that down the road, they do not work. This is not evil but if we do not act, it will be a time bomb. I have establishment an emergency team towards bringing 30,000 additional chareidim into the workplace but I must add the ongoing assaults against the chareidim in the past two weeks is bad. It causes damage.”

Commenting on remarks made by Lapid, Bennett added “It is a mistake. I don’t have a problem with chareidim. I don’t hate them. They are my brothers and to attack them is a major mistake. I certainly don’t agree with his [Lapid’s] words.”

He was then asked to comment on one of Lapid’s remarks, that parents are economically responsible for their children, to which he said “I do not agree with this either. I don’t agree with a hashkafa that makes it a sin to bring children into the world. We need a lot of children and we must be certain to make them part of society.”

Bennett also had words of praise for Lapid not just criticism. He explained the cooperation between their parties has led to major achievements; in the area of coalition negotiations towards establishing the government as well as after the formation of the coalition. Regarding the chareidi tzibur Bennett added, “The proper integration into the military and workplace will being them an honorable livelihood.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)