Haredi party issues ultimatum to Netanyahu, demanding education funds by June 1

The United Torah Judaism party issues an ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that if hundreds of millions of shekels aren’t transferred by this coming Saturday to increase the salaries of teachers in Haredi schools, its members will quit their roles in the government and as chairs of Knesset committees.

The ultra-Orthodox party claims that despite many recent conversations on the matter, all the funds for Haredi priorities are being withheld. It says it has held an emergency meeting on the matter.

A party statement says its No. 2, MK Moshe Gafni, has sent a message to Netanyahu — backed by the rest of the party — saying he won’t be able to continue serving as chairman of the Knesset’s Finance Committee if the matter isn’t resolved by June 1.

The office of UTJ lawmaker Yisrael Eichler adds that not only Gafni would resign if the demand goes unfulfilled — Yaakov Asher and Eichler will resign as heads of the Interior Committee and the Welfare Committee, respectively, and ministers Yitzhak Goldknopf and Meir Porush, as well as deputy minister Uri Maklev, “won’t be able to continue in their roles.”