Gafni Slams Netanyahu Over Approved Associations List
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the advancement of an associations list for tax benefits, despite Haredi parties' claims of discriminatory exclusion of their institutions. MK Moshe Gafni criticized Netanyahu's involvement and the Attorney General's role, expressing deep disappointment. MK Yaakov Asher also condemned the move, calling it discrimination against Haredi institutions just before elections.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Netanyahu is pushing to approve a list of associations for tax benefits, angering Haredi parties.
- Haredi MKs Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Asher accuse the government of discriminating against their institutions.
- Gafni expressed deep disappointment with Netanyahu, warning of future consequences for their political relationship.
- The dispute centers on the exclusion of Haredi Torah institutions from the approved list under Section 46.
- Haredi parties claim their institutions were not properly vetted before being excluded from the list.
A sharp dispute has erupted between the Likud party and Haredi parties concerning the approval of associations under Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Chairman of the Finance Committee, MK Hanoch Milvitzky, to advance the approval of an associations list for discussion, despite objections from Haredi representatives. These representatives claim that Haredi institutions have been unfairly excluded from the list. The issue has been a point of contention between the Haredi community and the Attorney General's office, as requests from Haredi associations, including Torah institutions, were left off the approved lists. Haredi representatives argue that these institutions were not properly examined to determine if they met the required criteria.
The Likud aimed to finalize the process before the upcoming elections, but the Haredi parties opposed the current framework. During a Finance Committee meeting, Chairman of Degel HaTorah, MK Moshe Gafni, strongly criticized the government's conduct and Netanyahu's involvement in promoting the list while excluding yeshivas. Gafni stated that the Tax Authority had not found the institutions to be non-compliant, yet they were removed from the list. He also accused the Attorney General of acting like an "emperor" by ordering their removal without proper review, asserting that the state does not recognize law-abiding yeshivas. Gafni directly questioned Netanyahu's intervention, asking why he needed to involve the opposition to approve the list with the yeshivas excluded.
Expressing deep disappointment with Netanyahu, Gafni warned of the consequences, stating, "I have gone with Netanyahu all these years, and in return, I have not received a friendship I can be proud of. I am very disappointed, and he knows the implications of what happened today. Asher emphasized that it is impossible to speak of governance while enabling discrimination and to call them partners while acting against them at a critical moment.
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