In his first wide-ranging policy speech since the election, Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett said that his party was committed to ensuring that there was plenty of money for Torah institutions of all streams. “If Torah study is important to the Jewish people, it must be a part of the regular state budget.”
In the past, budgets for yeshivas were the result of coalition agreements, and negotiations over the Special Arrangements Law that accompanies each yearly state budget, and which the High Court several years ago declared illegal. But Bennett said that one of his party's objectives was to change the source of funding for religious higher education. “Torah study cannot be based on coalition agreements. It must be part of the state budget. The state must decide if Torah study is important or not. If it is important, a regular allocation in the state budget must be made,” he said.
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