It appears that MK Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party have not yet exhausted their anti-chareidi agenda, now targeting their anti-religious venom at the elderly chareidi community, which receive senior citizens pensions.
On Thursday, Yisrael Beitenu MK Alex Kushnir addressed the party video released earlier and told Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) that he stands by what he said, that “We will be the final protection for the secular residents in this country”.
Kushnir stresses that he stands by every word he said, and that in Israel, 120,000 citizens living on a pension, and “these people are outside the closed chareidi envelope of protection”.
Yisrael Beitenu officials are starting to claim that chareidi senior citizens are not entitled to the Bituach Leumi pensions they are receiving. “The entitlement and responsibilities must be the same for everyone. Everything must be equal for all. An 18-year-old enlists in the IDF and his parents are required to finance his studies. An 18-year-old chareidi goes to study in yeshiva until the age of 67 and then he receives his senior citizens pension despite never having worked in his life.
Kushnir is quoted telling BeChadrei Chareidim that citizens of Israel must receive equal rights as well as sharing in equal responsibilities. He feels all senior citizens should receive a pension but together with this, additions to one’s pension is a component of having worked to earn it.
Each Israeli receives a 2% add on to one’s senior citizen’s pension for each year worked. Therefore, he feels there is no justification for the additional points for one whose spent one’s life in yeshiva, and not in the workplace. Kushnir concludes “zero years working should mean zero additional funding for a pension”.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
This is ridiculous! All Israelis, whether they work or not, make monthly payments to Bituach Leumi. If you are an employee, it comes off your paycheck. If are self-employed or you don’t work, you must arrange payments. I am an avreich and i have a standing order in my bank account to pay Bituch Leumi on a monthly basis. These payments entitle me to receive all services of Bituach Leumi offered those that work.
Before Leiberman opens his mouth, i think he should do some fact checking.
What ? They learned in Kollel and received a stipend.That’s work.Many also teach – that’s work.
I believe an important piece of information is missing here!! Even when someone does not work, he still has to pay into the Bituach Leumi system!! The above story just attacks the fact the these people “Never worked”. But by law, one still has to pay a minimum to Bituach Leumi !! So what is not “equal” about that?? The article just attacks !! the article doesn’t even state HOW MUCH is paid to the Religious Senior citizen. First they complain, that the person should not get any money. Then at the end of the article, it changes, and argues, that they should not get the additional points. So what is it ???
So did lIberman serve in the IDF?
The article is as clear as mud, since the issue at hand is not at all clarified. Nevertheless, on the surface it seems to me that YB is right. Why are they giving benefits to seniors who never worked if the benefits are designed for those who worked? It’s fine if someone wants to stay in Yeshiva his whole life, but why should he get working people’s benefits? It makes sense to give benefits to people who paid in to the pension system by working and paying taxes, but not to those who don’t pay into the system at all!
Mind you, I am a chareidi. I just don’t know why a chareidi in Israel feels “entitled” to money from the “treifene Medina”. Don’t they realize that by accepting money from them, they are becoming “owned” by them, allowing them to force chareidim (and chareidos!) to go to the army, etc?
My wife and i run a clothing gemach in the north of the country its appalling how many non-religious Russian Jews come for help because they aren’t working knowing that they can make their living off the various gemachim
Hate to say it, but he’s right, at least in this area.
what if the religious take over the country and deny Betuach Leumi to anyone who has not learned in a yeshiva? Would Liberman take that? He is so biased he can not see his hatred of the religious!
Does anybody understand this article and its connection, if any, with the headline?
to FrumWhere:
avreichim pay bituach leumi just like the rest of the citizens and therefore entitled to pension just like everyone else