The Supreme Court issued an interim order freezing the transfer of coalition funds to haredi educational institutions that do not have supervision, in response to a petition by the Yesh Atid faction.
MK Moshe Gafni, the chairman of the United Torah Judaism party, responded angrily and claimed that “the court has declared war on the haredi public and on Torah institutions.”
He said: "The Supreme Court demanded a response within a few hours, which is not acceptable even in court, and the funds, which were approved legally, according to the standard procedure and the necessary approvals, were revoked with a sword swipe in half a day."
"The judges' malice to harm the livelihood of teaching staff and the harm to the system as a whole will not be forgiven, and the evil petitioners will not be exempt. It turns out there is no democracy in the State of Israel, and the judges make decisions according to their own views and worldview, with no connection to the subjects themselves or to the professional decisions made by the government and the Knesset. We will do everything to restore the situation to what it was," said Gafni.
MK Yitzhak Goldknopf, head of the United Torah Judaism party, emphasized that "the Supreme Court's decision is adding fuel to the fire of the hatred campaign led by Yair Lapid. This is a direct attack on Haredi children who are innocent of any wrongdoing, and an extension of the budgetary discrimination meant to prevent basic rights for the haredi sector. We will not be silent in the face of this disgrace, nor will we accept turning hundreds of thousands of students into hostages of absurd petitions for propaganda purposes."
He added that "it is expected that the President of the Supreme Court, against whom a justified severe complaint was made today, will adopt the remarks of the ombudsman and act to temper the discourse and increase trust in the judiciary. The Supreme Court's decision is an extension of the divide and increases distrust in the legal system. We will continue to fight with all the tools available to ensure equality for every child in Israel."
Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri spoke tonight with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is in the U.S., and expressed strong protest against the Supreme Court's decision. A statement from Shas said: "The Supreme Court is out of control, like a reckless driver on a busy road, ruthlessly and unprecedentedly crushing the haredi public. From stealing the bread of young children to harming Torah learning and the education of tens of thousands of students. There are no judges in Jerusalem, but a dangerous gang of arsonists, who, in their desperate attempt to save their collapsing control, chose to take the haredi public hostage."
"We call on Jews around the world to raise their voices against this antisemitic torment. The haredi public will stand firm like a wall against these wicked decisions," the Shas statement concluded.
Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, MK Hanoch Milvitzky, reacted to the decision: "It is no surprise that the protégée of Judge Amit freezes funds that were legally transferred to haredi institutions. The Supreme Court is taking more and more powers for itself. Unfortunately, in the meantime, it is playing on an empty field. This will not stop until we decide to rebel against this judicial tyranny. We are already very late."
In contrast, opposition leader Yair Lapid expressed satisfaction with the decision. "The Supreme Court issued an interim order against the fund transfers for one reason: they are illegal. Even the haredim are not exempt from the laws of the state. Anyone who wants to receive funds will need to teach the core curriculum and accept proper supervision. You won’t take the money of reservists and taxpayers and use it to preach against conscription and deny young Haredim the opportunity to gain tools for the job market. The haredi parties have convinced themselves that they are above the law - they are not, and Yesh Atid will ensure that they are not."