The cabinet approved the 2015-2016 state budget but not before Bayit Yehudi prevents major cuts in the budgets of the nation’s mechina yeshivot and the sheirut leumi programs, both flagship programs of the dati leumi community. In addition, Bayit Yehudi party leader Education Minister Naftali Bennett succeeded in increasing his ministry’s budget which stands close to NIS 50 billion. There will be fewer students in classes and other measures will be taken to improve the public school system, with a focus on mathematics. The ministry will also spend additional funds to teach the nation’s students more about patience and tolerance.

The big news for the dati leumi community however is that Bennett prevented a NIS 10 million cut to the nation’s mechina pre-IDF yeshivot as well as a drastic cut to the different sheirut leumi programs operating in Israel. The latter was slated for a NIS 33 million cut and NIS 50 million the following year but this was prevented.

Having realized his success, Bennett and other party ministers were among the cabinet ministers voting in favor of the budget.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)