Bayit Yehudi leader Minister of the Economy Naftali Bennett announced his party will not permit taking funds from dati leumi public school funding to finance over 100 million shekels that is being allocated to Arab sector schools by Education Minister Rabbi Shai Piron.
Deputy Minister of Education (Bayit Yehudi) Avi Wortzman sent a letter to his boss, Piron, supporting assisting towards improving the Arab school system, “but not at the expense of the dati leumi schools for that would be a disaster”.
MK Rav Yisrael Eichler questioned “Why only an Arab child and why not a poor chareidi child as well? Is the chareidi not entitled to what an Arab child received? Why are you discriminating against these children? You don’t say to Arab schools ‘I want to teach you Judaism and not Islam. He is permitted to go his own way”.
Eichler:
A chareidi child is also entitled to be educated according to his derech and beliefs. Piron is more concerned about the rights of the poor children, mostly the Arabs.
Why are you depriving him of an education and summer camps? Yes, a terrible injustice was done regarding the camps. The ministry is funding three weeks of summer camps for the school children, for everyone with the exception of chareidim. You are spending our money and taxes to finance camps for others. Why doesn’t the chareidi child receive this? Why the discrimination? This isn’t racism? All the children with the exception of the chareidim.
The principle is that the minister determines what one learns. What is this similar to? One day there will be a religious majority and let us say the minister is one of ours. Will we say a school in the dati leumi system will not be funded unless it joins Chinuch Atzmai? If not, starve. This is not hate that we are not entitled to summer camps. No budgets for anything. Will there not be a revolt or civil disobedience?
This is hate for only hate can result in discriminations against children from kindergarten and first grade. Only hate can result in the treatment of the chareidi tzibur that exists. Only hate can prevent funding camps for chareidi children like the others…
Minister of Education Aaron Yadlin boasted he would fund talmidei torah learning in Yiddish, for he felt this was part of our culture. You on the other hand are trying to compel us to change our lifestyle with sanctions and economic discrimination.
Minister Piron:
There is no hate but governmental responsibility towards those unwilling to accept the rule of the state. There is a question of principle and I believe we can reach an understanding. We will continue funding all schools in the public sector while giving autonomy and cultural freedom regarding identity and religion, and we would be most happy to do our utmost for the chareidim to become a part of this, the education system that exists in the State of Israel.
Eichler:
We will not surrender to your dictates of the state education being imposed on us in a Soviet style. You sit and order cuts and this is not hate? You are starving children and you say this is not hate. You steal funding in the millions from mosdos Torah and this is not hate? When you and your friends discriminate against home buyers and break families and harm children. You are physically fighting against us and you say there is no hatred.
Minister Piron:
Even in the United States there is no funding for parochial schools.
Eichler:
America is not a Jewish country. There is separation between religion and state. You too can declare a nation of all its citizens between the Jordan and the sea, a democratic separation of church and state as in America regardless of religion and nationality. Then we will prefer a democratic Palestinian minister of education who is not hostile like you.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Funny man MK Eichler, Are u sure about living under a Palestinean Deputy of Education? Is that a joke or reality?
I know we all use the term, out of careless habit, but there has never been such a thing as a Palestinian people. The term Palestinian refers to persons and things in “Palestine”, which is otherwise called Eretz Yisroel. It is important to remember this. If non-Jews from/in EY are Palestinians, so are Jews!
Yeah, he was on target until that last sentence. He must have gotten worked up in the heat of the moment. It’s important not to play into the Zionists’ hands.
Well if the chiloni goverment tries to harm the chareidim of course it will be better under a palistian if he understands the Charedims needs. Halevei we could bring the chilonim to understand not to hurt our way of life.
Eichler doesn’t understand one simple fact. Governments spend money on education for the sole purpose of saving money on welfare in the future. By having a better educated public, there would be less unemployment and thereby less welfare. Without secular studies, what will be of those who finish school? Where will they work? What will they do?
All schools who get funding from the government need to have some sort of secular education. It does not necessarily need to be one curriculum, but there definitely needs to be math, science, English, and writing and verbal skills. Otherwise, every penny spent is money down the drain.
And the “chiloni” government isn’t dictating what needs to be taught. Any Haredi institution can get their own funding and do whatever they want. But if the government gives you money, surely the government can dictate the terms.
While I agree that Chareidi students shouldn’t be discriminated against, however, governments fund their school systems to prepare young people to be productive members of society, for its economic benefit.
Many, though not all, Chareidi schools refuse to adhere to a basic core curriculum that includes math and science. From any governments stand point, that seems to defeat the purpose of their funding.
It is understandable that Chareidi schools do not want government interference. That being the case, money always comes with interference. Don’t accept the money and they won’t interfere.
Some of the biggest Talmudei Chachomim are well schooled in basic secular education that also enhances their Torah learning. Even running a reliable Kashrus agency requires science and math skills.
This is the area of great contention between the government and Chareidi schools. It seems to me that Chareidi schools are harming their students in the long run if they don’t know basic math and science well.