Moshe Gafni
Moshe GafniYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) criticized haredi participation in programs of higher learning, claiming that academia is unacceptable for haredi young men because, in his words, "they want to secularize us."

Gafni added that this was also the reason why he does not visit haredi academic institutions, as he does not want to be seen as identifying with them.

This week it was reported that there was a significant increase in haredi participation in academic institutions, despite rabbinic opposition to academia.

Gafni also referred to haredi participation in the workforce and claimed that there is clear-cut discrimination against haredi Jews.

"Explain to me why the police commissioner didn't want a haredi rabbi as Chief Rabbi of the police. Why isn't there a haredi person at the head of the haredi department in the Education Ministry? Why aren't there Knesset workers at senior levels from the haredi community? They don't want us because we are haredi," said Gafni.