Liberman calls to shift funds from Orthodox seminaries to public safety

Responding to ongoing and at times violent protests led by the Ethiopian-Israeli community, Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman proposes cutting budgets for the Religious Affairs Ministry and Orthodox religious seminaries in order to allocate more funds for public security.

Writing on Facebook, Liberman says his “heart goes out” to the family of Solomon Tekah, a 19-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli who was shot dead on Sunday by an off-duty police officer and whose death sparked the mass protests.

“I understand the feeling and the need of young people to demonstrate and protest,” he says.

“But it is forbidden for a legitimate demonstration to turn into anarchy with serious violence,” the former defense minister adds. “I appeal to the protest leaders, their supporters and the heads of the Ethiopian community to uphold law and order.”

Saying that Tuesday’s violent protests “testify to the poor priorities of the government” and citing recent budget cuts for both the public security and welfare ministries, Liberman says the government must immediately “cut budgets for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and yeshivas” in order to fill the gap and restore security.

— Raoul Wootliff