Naftali Bennett: The plan to double the allowances of Yeshiva students is a
serious economic and moral error
Facebook November 11, 2022

The plan to double the allowances of Yeshiva students is a serious economic
and moral error.

Doubling the allowances will hurt young haredis, how the public relates to
the Torah and the future of the State of Israel.

This, because the increased allowances will encourage more young people not
to go to work or study a profession, because it is more comfortable to stay
in the yeshiva.

Eventually they will drop out at a late age, without the ability to make a
living with quality work.

And so it will result in increasing poverty and their dependence on tax
payers from the rest of the population in Israel.

This cannot last for long.

Everybody knows that.

Unfortunately, the leaders of the parties are now afraid to say this out of
fear of the wrath of the haredi parties.

The haredis are our brothers.

And they are the fastest growing population in Israel.

Therefore their responsibility towards the country must grow accordingly.

I believe in the need to study Torah.

I appreciate and love studies.

The Torah protected the people of Israel and it is our foundation.

But if there is no flour - there is no Torah.

The idea that a group which is growing in size, will be funded more and more
by others whose proportion in the population is decreasing, is not
practical.

And quite frankly, even if the politicians are afraid to say it, it is not
ethical.

Imagine 7 soldiers carrying an eighth soldier on a stretcher.

It is definitely possible.

Now imagine 4 soldiers carrying 4 soldiers on a stretcher.

Impossible. And not fair either.

They will collapse and leave.

In the end, those bearing the stretcher will choose to go somewhere else
(easier today than ever) and instead of strengthening the Torah, the process
will, forefend, lead to a negative feeling towards the Torah.

Sometimes the action that is supposedly pleasant and helpful is actually
harmful.

Over the years I have worked to increase employment in the haredi society.

And I was also the first to come out with a real plan, pro haredi and not
populist ("From Discrimination to Integration") - the one we adopted in the
government I headed: A year ago we raised the soldiers' wages by 50% and
promoted lowering the exemption age for the haredis from 24 to 21.

The big test of the government that comes to power: Will the rate of
hareidis working in 3-4 years be higher or lower than today's rate.

Shabbat Shalom.
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IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

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Arab-Israeli relations

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