Degel HaTorah (UTJ) issued a sharp statement Monday following the devastating tragedy at a private infant daycare in Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood, where two babies died, and more than 50 infants and children were hospitalized, some in serious condition.

At the opening of the faction meeting, members expressed deep shock and pain over the loss of life, sending condolences to the bereaved families and tefillos for a complete recovery for all the injured children. At the same time, they placed responsibility squarely on recent government policies, saying the disaster occurred despite repeated warnings that were ignored.

According to the faction, the tragedy is a direct result of the cancellation of daycare subsidies for families, a move they say created unbearable financial pressure and forced many parents into overcrowded, unregulated frameworks.

“We warned again and again, in real time, about the cancellation of daycare subsidies,” the party said. “We stated clearly that the harm was not only to working mothers, but first and foremost to the babies themselves — to their safety and their health.”

[MKs Blame Attorney General: “Children Of Avreichim Were Expelled From Supervised Daycares!”]

Degel HaTorah stressed that the burden placed on families led to extreme overcrowding in remaining daycares, including facilities that were never properly licensed or supervised. They said this dangerous reality developed over time and ultimately ended in catastrophe.

In their statement, party leaders said those who made and enforced these decisions bear heavy responsibility. While not naming individuals directly, the remarks were widely understood as referring to the High Court of Justice and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, following rulings that led to the slashing of yeshiva budgets and the directive to the Labor Ministry to cancel daycare subsidies for the children of draft evaders.

After the High Court ruled in 2024 that longstanding exemptions for bnei yeshiva were illegal, financial sanctions were imposed on yeshivos, and daycare subsidies were cut for many Chareidi families. Degel HaTorah says these steps pushed families into impossible situations, with tragic consequences.

[YWN EDITORIAL: The Heartbreaking Tragedy In Romema Must Be An Urgent Wake-Up Call For Jewish Communities Everywhere]

The faction called for an immediate reexamination of the daycare subsidy policy and of oversight mechanisms, saying that preventing future disasters must take precedence over ideological or legal battles.

“This is not a political issue. It is about the lives of tinokos shel beis rabban,” party members said, emphasizing that safeguarding children must come before all else.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)