Sources in the haredi coalition parties claim that a position Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is demanding in Beit Shemesh — where the municipality is controlled by Degel HaTorah — is holding up the cabinet's decision on funding for haredi daycare teachers. The claim adds a new dimension to the weeks-long coalition standoff.
Sources in the haredi coalition parties have added a new element to the ongoing coalition standoff over the funding of haredi daycare teachers (gananot). According to the sources, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is demanding a specific position in the city of Beit Shemesh — where the municipality is controlled by Degel HaTorah — as a condition for advancing the cabinet decision on the daycare funding. The claim suggests that the dispute is not simply about the daycare bill itself but also involves local political appointments.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the broader coalition crisis. Shas and United Torah Judaism halted all coalition voting in the Knesset plenum on June 15 over the delay in the daycare funding bill. Earlier this week, Moshe Gafni (UTJ) informed the coalition that his party would not vote on the attorney general split bill until the government decides on the daycare teachers. Separately, Smotrich had threatened to stall the cabinet decision on the funding due to haredi opposition to the Metropolitan Law, which is also related to Beit Shemesh.
The latest development indicates that the haredi parties are now directly linking Smotrich's local demands to the delay, potentially raising the stakes in the coalition negotiations. The funding for haredi daycare teachers remains unresolved, with no date set for a cabinet vote.
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