Speaking to Channel 2 TV’s Politika Program on Tuesday night, the eve of 22 Elul 5773, former Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman addressed a number of issues.
Will you sit with Netanyahu if the coalition falls?
Let me make it perfectly clear. The decision is to be made by Moetzas Gedolei Hatorah but I can say if the government falls my recommendation will be for the chareidim not to enter, but to go to elections. We were there before but this time let Netanyahu fall. We will not be there to save him.
Some say you guys got carried away and you want to have your cake and eat it too?
Today we are talking about the amount being taken from monthly child allowance payments. For a young couple with one or two children, it is not devastating. For large families it is a different story entirely. The young couple feels it but can deal with it.
When I was finance minister I was constantly under scrutiny for they say I did not learn secular subjects and do not have degrees. Now I ask what are the qualifications of Yair Lapid? He on the other hand does not have a matriculation diploma so how is he qualified. He served in the IDF magazine and I was a columnist in Hamodia so we are even.
Lapid continues to spread lies and accuse the chareidim of stealing government money for years. If someone did steal it was not me. I was never finance minister.
How are large families managing with cuts in monthly allowances?
I can say with pain the larger families are really suffering. When Bibi as finance minister cut the monthly allowance he too thought it was going to save the finance ministry and learned this did not help
They speak of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) nations but when it comes to this it is not relevant, apparently due to the hate for chareidim, as was the case with his [Lapid] father. The polls show that Lapid junior is heading for the same political career as his father.
Is Health Ministry Carried Away with national polio vaccine?
Not at all. I feel the minister is acting responsibly and appropriately. There is need for concern and taking the necessary course of action
Do you think this coalition will live out its term?
I do not think so for it is evident unity is not prevalent as some parties do not exactly see eye to eye.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
So what does he propose to do about this? Bargain an end to conscription for support of some other’s party’s platform. Yahadut ha-Torah has no problem supporting the socialist parties’ pro-welfare proposals, but would those socialists give up their anti-religious bias. Yahadut ha-Torah would be able to ally with the pro-Palestinian parties, but that would be considered treason by the zionists and I doubt the hareidim want to actually fight the hilonim (fight as in with guns, as opposed to dirty diapers).
“…When I was finance minister I was constantly under scrutiny for they say I did not learn secular subjects and do not have degrees. Now I ask what are the qualifications of Yair Lapid? He on the other hand does not have a matriculation diploma so how is he qualified….”
ANSWER: None of you are qualified.
That was the problem with the Israeli election system which thankfully has changed, because not every little party will be able to run in elections..A prime minister has to scramble for coalition partners to make his government, and more often than not, putting people into cabinet positions for which they’re not qualified.
Why are Moetzes G Hatorah involved in elections and government positions? Have they formally recognized the Zionist state yet?
I like his answer about Lapid and both their qualifications. The bottom line is the technicrats do the actual work, so there should be some degreee of professionalism.
I do have a problem labeling everything the Chareidi parties oppose, as hate for Chareidim, as the motive.
I’m not making excuses for Lapid, since I share the concern about his motivations, but others besides Lapid have issues and concerns that are legitimate about the viability of the welfare state and the ability to fund everything. This doesn’t mean their concerns are because of hate.
The Chareidi parties need to act responsibly too and have honest debate and compromise, for everyone’s sake, so the system doesn’t fail. The issue is that if you spend $2.00 more than you have, down the road you have to raise or cut $5.00 to make up for it. Just look at the U.S. Federal and State deficits as an example. You can’t keep borrowing indefinitely. Israel is not a big country. It’s margin for error is smaller.