From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Lapid vs. Goldknopf: Ensuring every child in Israel is educated is not ‘hatred of Haredim’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf after the senior Haredi politician accuses him of filing a lawsuit against the transfer of some NIS 1 billion ($314 million) to ultra-Orthodox schools out of “hatred of the ultra-Orthodox.”
“Rabbi Goldknopf, enlistment in the IDF is not ‘hatred of Haredim.’ Studying mathematics and English is not ‘hatred of Haredim.’ Thinking that people should work to earn a living is not ‘hatred of Haredim.’ And certainly ensuring that every child in Israel — including Haredi children — receives what they deserve, namely a proper education that includes core curriculum studies, is not ‘hatred of Haredim,'” declares Lapid in a statement.
“It won’t help you to shout ‘hatred of Haredim’ every time basic civic duties are demanded of you — duties that every Israeli citizen is required to fulfill,” he adds.
Lapid’s Yesh Atid party petitioned the High Court of Justice today for an “urgent interim injunction” against the transfer of funds out of what is left of the 2025 state budget, prompting Goldknopf to accuse him of seeking to turn the Haredim “into second-class citizens.”
The Times of Israel Community.