From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Halt on daycare subsidies for children of Haredi yeshiva students set to take effect in November
Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter
The Attorney General’s Office tells Labor and Welfare Minister Yoav Ben Tzur that his ministry must halt daycare subsidies for the children of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who enjoyed military service exemption for their studies by November 30.
Writing to Ben Tzur today, Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon tells the minister that the decision stems from the critical ruling by the High Court of Justice in June that there was no longer any legal framework for Haredi military service exemptions after the relevant law and government decision expired, and further ruled that as a result financial support for such students was also illegal.
“In the absence of authority to encourage, through financial support, the Torah studies of ultra-Orthodox men who are subject to conscription… it is required to immediately stop supporting them, in accordance with the criteria for daycare [subsidies],” Limon tells the Labor minister.
“Taking into account the constraints presented in the discussions, it is possible to establish a transition period that will not exceed a period of three months… until November 30, 2024,” Limon adds.
He also tells Ben Tzur to immediately send a warning to Haredi men now subject to the draft that daycare subsidies will be halted by that date.
A decision by the Bennett-Lapid government to immediately cut childcare subsidies was postponed by the High Court owing to the severe financial impact such a step would have on the livelihood of Haredi families. The subsidies for the daycare of young ultra-Orthodox children run into hundreds of shekels for each child, and constitute a vital part of the household economy for many Haredi families, meaning that the cut in funding will have a heavy impact on the community.
