Lieberman admits his goal is to penalize chareidi men who learn instead of working
In his first major decision as finance minister, Lieberman proposed slashing NIS 400 million in day care subsidies to many chareidi families unless both parents either work or are learning a profession or trade. Until Lieberman’s unilateral ukase, chareidi families qualified for the subsidies even if the father was learning in kollel.
Chareidi MKs blasted Lieberman’s decision as an “evil decree” that singles out kollel families with children ages three and younger. Even the far left reacted with scorn. Meretz chairman Nitzan Horowitz said children deserve to get what they need no matter what their parents do.
Cabinet ministers wield considerable power in Israel. The Finance Ministry writes the regulations for day care subsidies, so Lieberman can change the rules as he pleases, and on short notice. If the new regulation does come into effect on September 1, as Lieberman proposes, parents of some 18,000 young chareidi children will be forced to pay as much as NIS 1,000 more per child, each month, to keep them in day care.
Lieberman admits his goal is to penalize chareidi men who learn instead of working. He quotes the Rambam out of context on the importance of combining work with learning. Lieberman, with his long history of antagonism toward the chareidi community, isn’t one to start preaching. Chareidi MKs contend that Lieberman’s plan will backfire: instead of having the intended outcome of forcing men out of kollel into jobs, chareidi workforce participation could actually dip if working mothers quit their jobs because day care costs consume too much of their salaries.
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