During the last administration, the 19th Knesset, Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett, in his capacity as Minister of Religious Services established the Jewish Identity Administration, which was headed by former IDF Chief Rabbi Avichai Ronsky. Bennett at the time explained the new entity was designed to “increase national awareness of Jewish identity”.

With Finance Minister (Kulanu) Moshe Kahlon working to prepare the state budget, the treasury is making many cuts, including the Jewish Identity Administration. In the draft budget released earlier this week, Kahlon wishes to eliminate the body which was established in 2013. In addition, beginning in 2016, Kahlon also wants to cut funding to the Ministry of Religious Services by NIS 5 million.

Bayit Yehudi officials were shocked to learn of the treasury’s plan and they are studying the matter in the hope of preventing the closure of the administration. Bennett tweeted “If the treasury wishes to harm education, then it will not have fingers (votes) to pass the budget”.

Making things worse for the dati leumi tzibur, Kahlon has targeted one of its flagship programs, the mechinot, pre-IDF service prepatory yeshiva programs. Kahlon is calling to cut that budget by NIS 10 million annually. The report adds that today, there are 46 ‘mechinot’ nationwide of which 21 are dati leumi-affiliated and 25 secular or mixed. There is also a Druse ‘mechina’ program as well as a one in the chareidi sector. The budget for the nation’s mechinot in 2014 stood at NIS 54 million, representing a 260% (two hundred & sixty) increase during a five-year period. This is Kahlon’s basis for cutting the Education Ministry budget by NIS 10 million in 2016.

The finance minister also wants to bring an end to sheirut leumi serving far from home. Kahlon wants local government leaders to prepare a list of which cities and municipalities require outside volunteers. The list would be published on an internet site no later than January 1, 2016. Kahlon is seeking to eliminate the need for the state to pay for apartments for sheirut leumi girls whom live too far from home to commute daily. The draft budget addresses special needs and children and at risk and areas dependent on the nationwide volunteer program. He envisions modifying the program so girls serve close enough to home to do away with the state-funded apartments. Kahlon also feels it is time for the various sheirut leumi organizations to streamline and become more efficient as well as rebuilding the criteria by which the state reimburses sheirut leumi volunteers for transportation. Kahlon wishes to eliminate the ability to travel freely during sheirut leumi, and restrict the state funding to travel to and from one’s volunteer assignment exclusively.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)