In what some feel may be the beginning of a mending of fences, chareidi MKs Moshe Gafne and Amnon Cohen on Wednesday, 13 Sivan, had words of praise for Bayit Yehudi leader Minister Naftali Bennett. The Yahadut Hatorah and Shas MKs praised the minister’s efforts to bring additional chareidim into the workplace including the ranks of the nation’s civil service employees. They praised his bill seeking to bring additional chareidim into the public sector.

“I also want to give credit to the Minister of the Economy for a change,” said Gafne. “To your credit, you supported the recent government decision, as well as in the ministerial committee on Sunday, regarding our bill”.

MK Cohen spoke of Bennett’s actions to arrange for a round table discussion on chareidi employment at his behest.

Gafne pointed out that ironically, during the election campaign Yesh Atid MKs accused chareidim of not going to work and not wishing to work. However it was the Yesh Atid ministers on the committee voting against the bill which intends to give more chareidim jobs.

From the dati leumi side of the political fence MK (Bayit Yehudi) Yoni Chetboun and former Yesha Council leader Dani Dayan are both calling to bring chareidim into the coalition. The two feel that Shas and Yahadut Hatorah should be brought in to replace The Movement and Yesh Atid.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)