United Torah Judaism expressed anger Wednesday after the Knesset plenum did not vote on the daycare funding bill for yeshiva students this week. According to reports by Simcha Shimon of Kikar HaShabbat, Likud refrained from advancing both the Basic Law: Torah Study and the daycare bill in the same week, pushing the latter vote to next week to limit public backlash. MK Moshe Gafni confronted senior coalition officials over the delay.
United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni confronted senior coalition officials on Wednesday after the Knesset plenum failed to vote on the daycare funding bill for yeshiva students. The delay comes as the coalition advanced the Basic Law: Torah Study through a preliminary Knesset vote earlier Wednesday, drawing opposition condemnation. According to reports from Simcha Shimon of Kikar HaShabbat, Likud made a tactical decision not to push both controversial bills — the Basic Law on Torah Study and the daycare funding law — through the plenum in the same week. The goal was to reduce public criticism of pushing through two major pieces of legislation seen as benefiting the Haredi community in rapid succession. The daycare bill is now expected to come to a vote next week. The incident follows a broader pattern of tension within the coalition over the pace and content of legislation related to Haredi military service exemptions and benefits. As The Zioneer reported on June 9, the Knesset Finance Committee erupted earlier this week over the daycare funding issue, with Gafni calling the committee's legal advisor an 'anti-Semite.' On June 7, Gafni was pushing for an urgent vote on a separate draft exemption bill, while Shas leader Aryeh Deri was accused by UTJ sources of requesting a delay. The daycare bill remains one of the most politically sensitive items on the coalition's agenda, as it directly connects to ongoing debates about Haredi military service and the state budget.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake