Bayit Yehudi leader Minister of the Economy Naftali Bennett spoke with Kol Berama Radio on Wednesday night, the eve of 11 Adar II. Following are excerpts from the 22 minute interview.

Kol Berama:

So at the end you voted in favor.

Bennett:

Are you referring to the Referendum Law?

Kol Berama:

The Draft Law.

Bennett:

What can I say? I am in favor of it. All the talk of criminal sanctions is not as it is presented. Permit me to clarify once and for all. The issue is the result of the chareidim who want to show how harsh the law is. There are no criminal sanctions. Read the law and you will see. We are talking of a long process. Stop creating something that does not exist. You are all trying to incite the entire population. Enough! I will tell you what does exist. In the coming days all young chareidim can decide what they want. Those wishing to work may do so. Those wishing to continue learning may do so. Now there is an option. Enough!

Your askanim, the media and the political spins – it’s enough.

Kol Berama:

Please, we know each other and have mutual respect. Even MK Shaked said it was hard and she did her best but there are criminal sanctions. Either you are not in sync with here or the law changed and you are unaware.

Bennett:

You are trying to create a situation that does not exist. You make it sound like the police are going to enter yeshivos at any moment. This is not what is going to occur. You are playing the victim here. Let me give you a scoop.

Two weeks ago I sat with three politicians, heads of chareidi parties and they suggested that I increase the age from 22, which means the age when a young man if free to do what he wishes. They wanted to increase it to 26. I did not understand why. Do you understand my brother what I am telling you. It is a scam. They are playing the tzibur.

It is awful. The tzibur can decide as it wishes and they are duping the chareidi tzibur.

Kol Berama:

The law includes criminal sanctions. I too realize the police are not entering the yeshivos. Bottom line they do not recognize the State of Israel. You have challenged their way of life.

Bennett:

There is something to what you say. One checking with a magnifying glass will find something. We preferred it would not contain this. To my sorrow we did not have Likud behind us.

Kol Berama:

You didn’t need Likud. Your party has nine people, enough to topple it.

Bennett:

I am not talking the vote. I am speaking about in the committee. Regarding the vote we are bound by coalition loyalty.

Kol Berama:

So what is your political line? Where is the party’s red line? What do you stand for?

Bennett:

I believe we are here to do good for Am Yisrael. There are cynical politicians among your tzibur that are venomous in their words. Your MKs tell us the law is wonderful and in the media they raise a tumult. It’s time for Gafne to decide and stop talking to us one way and then in the media play a game.

Kol Berama:

We read the law and we know it.

Bennett:

No you don’t. Both Deri and Gafne told us in closed session the law is great. You were not there and you do not know. Stop crying on the radio. It’s time for them to tell the tzibur the same as they tell us.

Kol Berama:

Take a calculator and you will see we will not meet the goals and it will not work. It is as simple as that.

Bennett:

You do not get it. This year we have almost met our demand for the induction goal and it is working and will work in the coming years.

Kol Berama:

Then tell me about 2018. It will not work. You will not meet the goals.

Bennett:

I am responsible for the economy and I need to get people out working this is what is happening. No one is against yeshivos and no one, especially me, I am not against Torah.

They can turn to my office. You are an avreich and living a life of poverty. If this is your choice then continue and I love you.

Kol Berama:

But Lapid cut the child allowance and taken their bread

Bennett:

Not like that. I know thousands have opted to leave kollel and they are now working.

Kol Berama:

You know the numbers and the finance minister took their basics.

Bennett:

I understand, you are a radio host and playing the underdog. There are two options. I can give up or I can say “the state has given me opportunity to get an education to learn a skill and make a living”

Kol Berama:

Minister Bennett, there is another option

Bennett:

When I fall on the street I can look at those responsible for causing my collapse.

Kol Berama:

You cannot make it work by force

Bennett:

Stop with this. You continue repeating this because it is good for you. This is not the reality and the law opens doors that were not available before.

Kol Berama:

Why does hesder serve half the time?

Bennett:

It’s is only 800 talmidim of the large dati leumi community. They have paid heavily, lost many talmidim and I am very proud of them.

Kol Berama:

The number is irrelevant. It is the principle

Bennett:

Then build chareidi hesder yeshivos and I will support you. They lost many talmidim. You want to follow their example and serve as they do then fine with me.

I am in total agreement with you and we never would have survived all the wars and our reality without the limud Torah but we are trying to find the middle road. We did a good job. It has passed into law and I call on the tzibur. [interrupted]

Kol Berama:

Yes it passed and we are pained.

Bennett:

It is behind us and I am with you. If you want parnasa come to me and we will help.

Kol Berama:

What does this mean?

Bennett:

Any chareidi calling *5181 will be told where the nearest training center is. They will speak with him and learn his abilities and talents. He will be treated well and trained, something the non-religious do not receive. I am extending my hand to you to please come and earn a living

Kol Berama:

The tzibur is intelligence enough to know what it wants and needs

Bennett:

I think over the recent decades the askanim did a bad thing to the chareidi tzibur

Kol Berama:

Enough with the askanim! Do you want me to bring Gafne on the air to respond to every comment you made?

You said you believe in the value of limud Torah and the integral role it plays in our life and our survival and I really believe you. They however are making a choice. They do not want to call your number but they want to live and this is the life they have selected.

You don’t cut off one’s oxygen and then offer him assistance

Bennett:

The way it works is that today let’s say ten avreichim are learning. If three get up and train and begin working, because now they can, the same money remains for the others, the seven that remain so those continuing to learn will also have a better life.

We all know the truth. Now that many can get up and work they will.

Kol Berama:

You are making an incorrect assumption. I am speaking about avreichim, the older one not the teens, who are learning by choice and have no intention to go and train and begin working. They live modestly but the finance minister has now taken their meager existence.

In addition your calculation is incorrect. It does not work this way.

Bennett:

It does and more than this. Many want to work but were scared to enter the IDF. Now the avreichim are free to work without fear of the IDF so we did everyone a favor.

The bill passed three readings and it is law so let’s deal with the reality. I am on my way to Sderot after 60 rockets fell there.

Kol Berama:

Amazing that it occurred today. Wouldn’t you agree?

Bennett:

Avi please, I really love you and the tzibur. Permit me to speak to the tzibur at home. Those wishing to work, please call and we will greet you with open arms and train you and permit you to work.

Kol Berama:

Rabbi Gafne wants to respond to your word. (Bennett hangs up the phone)

Gafne:

He has good reason to hang up. Bennett says I agreed in the room that the law was good and then cried on the radio. So let me say this loud and clear.

I never agreed to anything, not a paragraph of this law, never. What a chutzpah. Who he is? Where does he get the nerve to tell us what is proper and good for the chareidim? He has done nothing but damage to us. Stop speaking to us. Speak to his tzibur. He has done nothing but damage. He dares to tell us the type of lifestyle we should live as if he knows better and understands.

I adamantly deny his words. I never agreed. His statements are libelous. They interviewed here on your radio station and said there would be no criminal sanctions.

Kol Berama:

This is true and it is documented

Gafne:

Plain and simple – he is a liar, they lie. He and Shaked said there would be no criminal sanctions. Now he wonders why unfortunately rockets are falling in the south. Nebach.

Kol Berama:

The same for Moti Yogev and Uri Ariel, for they all said there would be no criminal sanctions.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)