MK Uri Maklev (United Torah Judaism) on Tuesday spoke with 103 FM Radio about Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman's (Yisrael Beytenu) new economic plan to push haredi men into the workforce.
"We see him as someone who persecutes us, as someone who incites against us," Maklev told 103 FM.
"People learn Torah due to idealology, out of a need, out of an obligation to learn. You know what a giant world of Torah there is abroad? No one learns for the stipend he receives for the half-day of learning in his program."
When asked if he is aware that many haredim abroad are employed, Maklev shot back, "Do you think that in our community in Israel, people don't work? Where is that image from?"
Maklev continued, "Let's take a haredi man who wants to work, even after he finished a certificate program. Look at how many obstacles [there are] and how he can't work and he can't integrate. Take haredi women, in the same place - what does she receive and what does a woman from general society receive? She is already being discriminated against because maybe she has a work environment in which she is limited. She isn't limited with regards to the product of her work. They are excellent employees, with an good work ethic."
Regarding the current coalition and whether his party might join it, Maklev told 103 FM, "They are not offering us to join the government, since Liberman's central ideology is 'without haredim.' He doesn't even want to be photographed in the President's office with haredim. We want a government in which we can live, without it forcing us to live according to their ideology and conditions, and we are always open to everyone." .
When 103 FM said that haredim receive public funding, Maklev responded, "You are not funding us. How much do we receive for education? For culture, will you give me what you give the general public? How much does a [college] student receive and how much does a married yeshiva student receive? This doesn't even have any proportion."