Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) demanded Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) fulfill their coalition agreements and restore "preferential status" to the haredi cities of Beitar Illit and Modi'in Illit.
Restoring haredi towns' preferential status was included as part of Shas' coalition agreement at Beitar Illit Mayor Meir Rubinstein's request. Previously, the towns had been ranked as "National Priority A."
In his letter to Netanyahu and Kahlon, Deri wrote, "As part of our coalition agreements with the present government, and with a wide base of support from various members of the coalition....we have decided that the government must work to restore....the towns, or some of them, to their former preferential status."
"The decision to revoke these towns' preferential status is valid until July 31, 2017.' In the document revoking their preferential status, it states that the 'government will discuss whether or not this decision has achieved its goal and whether the towns's status should be changed.'
"Given these considerations, the time has come to change how we treat local haredi authorities, such as Beitar Illit, which has the lowest socioeconomic ranking in Israel. We need to deal with the security and social issues these communities have.
"This process must begin with restoring the towns' preferential status."
Preferential status offers selected cities - usually those which the government has an invested interest in developing - subsidies for school, preschool, and daycare tuition and a clause which forces 50% of all new building projects to be sold to residents of the city instead of investors living elsewhere.