A compromise has been found to alleviate tensions between the Finance Ministry and Knesset Finance Committee Chairman MK Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism). The former has not released the monthly allocations for thousands of married yeshiva students, each of whom receive several hundreds shekels. In response, Litzman held up the transfer of money for home mortgages - although he blamed two other left-wing MKs for the delay. MK Mossi Raz (Meretz) admitted that he had requested a delay in certain funding, hoping to prevent the money from reaching Yesha communities, \"but now, for the first time, I\'m willing to agree to funding for the territories, if only to avoid being a partner in this ugly struggle between Litzman and the Finance Ministry.\" Late this afternoon, it was agreed that a solution to both problems - the mortgage monies and the yeshiva funding - would be sought within five days.
In any event, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Finance Minister Silvan Shalom are trying to find six billion shekels to cut from the national budget, and it is clear that the budget will not be ready by Jan. 1, 2002.
In any event, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Finance Minister Silvan Shalom are trying to find six billion shekels to cut from the national budget, and it is clear that the budget will not be ready by Jan. 1, 2002.