Tensions in Netanyahu’s Government Over Education Funding

By Steven Scheer
JERUSALEM (Reuters)
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties are testing the unity of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition amid disputes over military drafts and education funding.

The latest rift centers on an ultra-Orthodox push to have their schools receive benefits similar to state-run schools, particularly the “New Horizon” program, which increases school hours and teacher salaries.

Haim Biton, the ultra-Orthodox Education Minister and a member of the Shas party, advocates for equal treatment of their teachers: “For a year we have been fighting for the entry of ‘New Horizon’ into ultra-Orthodox institutions. There is no reason for our teachers to be discriminated against.”

While Biton stated they would not leave the government over this funding issue, the other ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism (UTJ), has announced it will boycott parliamentary votes until the funding dispute is resolved.

Coalition whip Ophir Katz is attempting to prevent a crisis ahead of a 3.4 billion shekel budget vote aimed at supporting tens of thousands of Israelis displaced by rocket fire from Lebanon.

This dispute highlights the ongoing tensions within Netanyahu’s coalition, which has experienced nearly two years of crises marked by mass protests against judicial reforms and the Gaza war.

Netanyahu, who leads a coalition of religious and hardline nationalist parties, currently holds 64 out of 120 parliamentary seats. However, relations among ministers have been strained.

Far-right parties, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have previously threatened to leave the coalition concerning the Gaza conflict, while the ultra-Orthodox parties have focused on securing benefits for their community, comprising approximately 13% of the population.

Recent tensions escalated following a Supreme Court ruling that abolished an exemption from military service for Haredi men. Education budget disputes have further fueled these tensions.

Gilad Malach, director of the Israel Democracy Institute’s ultra-Orthodox program, notes that the Haredi parties feel sidelined as extreme right factions secure their demands, while they struggle for recognition.

Despite potential repercussions at the polls stemming from recent security failures, the parties have not indicated any immediate intent to exit the coalition. However, these struggles could signal future challenges within the government, according to Malach: “It might begin a process that all parties don’t want right now but that might be the result.”