Rabbi Benzion Mutzafi, a senior haredi rabbi, slammed Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu), saying he "destroys the poor."
In a class given in the Musayof synagogue, Rabbi Mutzafi said, "The curse has begun. This minister comes and raises prices, and slaughters the poor, and destroys them."
"So may the Holy One, Blessed be He, destroy them - him and to all those who support his hands - together with all the others, and throw them into the great sea, may G-d help."
Liberman recently presented a new economic plan for the haredi community, eliminating discounts on property tax, afternoon programs, and daycares for parents who do not work.
Under the new plan, the number of hours a parent can be studying instead of working and still receive discounts will be cut from 40 hours a week to 20 hours a week, and there will be financial incentives for haredi educational institutions which integrate the core curriculum.
Earlier this month, the government presented a plan to reduce the cost of living for some Israelis, by lowering taxes in order to reduce the cost of various products, subsidizing part of the increase in electricity prices so that the price will increase by only 2-3%, and lowering taxes for low- and middle-wage incomes.