National Union MK Zevulun Orlev Tuesday morning charged that "there is no truth" to the claim of Education Minister Yuli Tamir (Labor) that budget cuts forced her to eliminate the National Service (Sherut Leumi) program in the school system. MK Orlev pointed out that the ministry's latest move follows significant reductions n the budgets for religious high schools and for pre-army academies.

Minister Tamir is conducting "a war in cooperation with Peace Now" against religious Zionism, MK Orlev asserted. Thousands of religious girls serve their National Service in schools, and critics have charged that eliminating their positions will force the school system to hire highly paid professionals to fill the gap.