So many things have been going on over here in Israel in the last few weeks that it has been difficult to decide which subject should concentrate my attention for this week’s blog. Until last night I was still unsure, but then the news broke of the demands of the United Torah Judaism party, (supporters of Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition), with regard to the allocation of stipends to Yeshiva students, and the choice was clearly made for me.

This is a fairly complicated subject, but in brief, the background to last night’s negotiations is the Israeli High Court of Justice ruling of earlier this summer that the massive handouts given for years to the rapidly growing number of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students were illegal, as they discriminated against university and secular students, who didn’t receive a penny – or a shekel even!

In other words, (and listen carefully ‘cos I shall say this only once),the perverse situation had arisen whereby those that served in the armed forces for the mandatory period of three years for men and two years for women, before going off to university to train for a career or profession which would then earn them an income and enable them to pay taxes to help support the running of country, were unable to claim any financial support, whilst those who had refused to join the armed forces, and who had no plans to ever work for a living or contribute anything to mainstream society, were given substantial handouts to allow them to sit in a yeshiva all day and ‘study’. If that seems fair to you, then the chances are that you’re probably listening to the wrong blog!

Not surprisingly, the many thousands of ultra-Orthodox men that until now have been living off the state, dodging work and military service, and who invariably marry young and procreate to an alarming degree (it would appear that television is a rare evening option), are somewhat perturbed at the thought of losing their money and having to go out and find a job to feed their households of 10, 12, 14 or more. Doubtless, behind the scenes they have been lobbying their political representatives very hard indeed and have been determined to find a way to circumvent the law and make sure they keep a grip on their most undeserved ‘pocket money’.

In a blog of some months ago I pointed out that in forming a coalition with virtually any party that had sufficient numbers to allow him to govern, Netanyahu was sowing a bitter crop that would have to be reaped sooner or later. Whilst United Torah Judaism don't sit in the government, they do vote with the government, so I’d say that now is harvest time.

In a nutshell, the United Torah Judaism party, (or as they are quite understandably better known, the UTJ), has very strongly hinted that if amendments aren’t made to the stipend situation which favour the Ultra Orthodox sector and circumvent the law in a weasley way, they will withdraw their support for the budget bill, thereby bringing down the government and forcing an early general election. 

UTJ’s suggestion is aimed at staying within the ruling of the High Court, but in defining terms that clearly favour the Haredi and Ultra-Orthodox student population. Rather than the old legislation which positively discriminated in favour of religious students and was therefore illegal, UTJ has suggested that they will support the budget bill if the student stipend legislation is based on the following criteria, (now listen up because you’re going to love this):

1)      You must be a student with a least three children

2)      You must have no other source of income

3)      You must not own a property or a motor vehicle

Your starter for 10: Which section of the Israeli student population has an average number of more children than on the fingers of one hand (and sometimes three hands!), has no working member of the household, and cannot afford a house or a car to house or transport their brood? You got it, the ultra-Orthodox and Haredi community. 

So, whilst the law to provide student stipends will not (in black and white) single out any section of Israeli society for special attention, it will in reality only apply to those who meet the aforementioned criteria, and believe me, you’d struggle to find any secular university student that would fit the bill. In other words, the law in black and white will, in reality, apply only to those who dress in black and white. If the government doesn’t agree to this fudge we’ll be heading to the polls very soon.

And if that isn’t one of the most sickeningly brazen pieces of political blackmail, then I’m the Mad Hatter and you’ll be invited for tea with me, Alice and the Cheshire Cat as soon as I can get the invitations printed!

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