Seeking to preempt a major cut in yeshiva funding, MK Rav Moshe Gafne at the end of last week sent an urgent letter to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to prevent the planned cut in yeshiva funding. According to a The Marker report, the State Audit Committee is set to meet on Tuesday, 9 Kislev 5774, at which time it will okay an addition cut in funding to chareidi mosdos.

Yahadut Hatorah has learned the Ministry of Education will now be paying a talmid in a chareidi yeshiva 240 NIS monthly and an avreich 432 NIS monthly. However, the same ministry will be paying a talmid in a Zionist yeshiva 864 NIS monthly and a hesder yeshiva student 672 NIS monthly. The latter also receives funding from the Ministry of Defense for a total of 1,212 NIS per hesder talmid per month.

Yahadut Hatorah points out that hesder talmidim are funded for 60 months while their IDF service is only 16 months. Hence, the talmid receives 1,650 NIS per month for the months he is learning in beis medrash, a far cry from the 432 NIS given an avreich.

Gafne is seeking to stop the expected move to further improve the payment for Zionist yeshivos, those yeshivos that encourage IDF service, pointing out doing so will result in even less assistance for chareidi mosdos. Gafne feels there is no justification to the expected move other than being politically motivated. Gafne adds the double funding of hesder yeshivot is illegal as per a Supreme Court ruling as well as a ruling from the attorney general’s office.

Education Ministry officials responding to the report simply stated they are allocating funds in line with the approved state budget, nothing more.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)