Likud Tells Ultra-Orthodox There Is No Majority for Daycare Subsidy Bill

Likud has formally informed the ultra-Orthodox parties that there is no majority for the daycare subsidy bill. A senior United Torah Judaism figure told ynet that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thinks he can “play with us” over the bill, he should remember that the faction is united “like a fist” in full support of it, and that it will not vote with the coalition on anything until the measure advances.

The bill passed a preliminary reading on May 27. It is intended to bypass directives freezing daycare subsidy support for yeshiva students.

The proposal would change the eligibility criteria for admission to subsidized daycares and family day care centers. Under the draft, subsidy eligibility would depend only on the wife’s employment status, regardless of whether the husband works.