Former Director of Bituach Leumi Prof. Yochanan Stessman spoke with Israel Radio on Tuesday, 14 Elul 5773. The professor blasted Yair Lapid and his decision to cut monthly child allowance payments, rejecting Lapid’s attempt to portray chareidim as the primary recipient of these funds. Stessman explained that all families with children receive these funds, adding one-third of Israelis earn the national average salary of about 9,000 NIS monthly and another one-third minimum wage, closer to 5,000 NIS. These two sectors, representing the majority of the nation, will be hit hard by the sharp reduction in the monthly payments.

Stessman explains that Lapid is “looking for funds to fill the government hole” and he turned to the monthly child payments to raise a portion of the deficit. “The chareidim represent a minority of the nation so Lapid’s accusations are absurd.”

Like other experts, Prof. Stessman explained the monthly allowance has not been viewed as incentive not to work and Lapid insinuating otherwise is a cynical use and abuse of his authority.

Also speaking to Israel Radio was Lapid’s Yesh Atid colleague, MK Boaz Toporovsky, who boasted “The era of waiting for handouts from the nation is over. My parents worked and today they are proud of living of the nation. They have no shame. Some of the people understand the more children they have the more money they will get from the state. The time has come to get out and work.”

Toporovsky rejects accusations that the cuts are directed at chareidim, explaining the party does not look at one’s skin color or way of life.

Regarding chareidim he understands the need to offer gender separated vocational training to accommodate their way of life. He feels it is imperative to establish programs that will cater to all so no citizen can claim the state is not acting to assist him/her in finding employment. In short, he wants to make sure the chareidim have no excuse for not entering the workplace.

Yesh Atid officials reject the criticism from Stessman and other experts, including former Welfare Minister Yitzchak Herzog, who in a radio interview on 14 Elul said “you never harm the children”, accusing Lapid of cynically promoting his own agenda.

“We are giving birth to a new generation, one in which no sector receives more of less than others and citizens realize they have to get out and work.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)