Speaking to chareidi radio on Monday evening 22 Iyar, former Yesh Atid Minister of Education Shai Piron spoke out about the chareidi parties in the coalition. Piron feels the new coalition is not a good one.
Piron explains many mistakes were made by the various parties including his, Yesh Atid, but he points out that even though the party dropped from 19 to 11 seats it remains the third largest party which under today’s realities, a sufficient number to hold senior cabinet portfolios. He explains that he is confident that the fact the chareidi parties “are unable to control their lust [for funding]” will ensure the significant growth of his party once again. He cites the deal-making that took place to reach coalition agreements, adding “adding if we did things during out tenure, we were not as in your face about during the first two weeks of the coalition as we see here”.
Piron maintains that the coalition agreements of Shas and Yahadut Hatorah do not mention the education of the children of their communities and this is indicative of the priorities. He cited the ongoing discrimination against Sephardim in Ashkenazi chareidi mosdos.
Piron rejected the allegations that the summer camps his ministry ran discriminated against the chareidim. He explained the camps were for official education institutions and many non-chareidi schools in Jerusalem and Haifa for example were excluded as well, simply because the state-funded program only addressed schools in the state education system despite Moshe Gafne’s cries of “discrimination”.
Piron explains that he was working to gradually introduce subjects that would have elevated the chareidi schools to become part of a new state chareidi educational institutions.
Asked to justify his policies including surprise inspections in chareidi mosdos, the former minister explained the very same surprise inspections were held in universities and other areas where the widespread deception was a matter of record. “If they were not doing things that should not have been done the inspections would not have taken place. It is time to admit these realities too”.
Piron insists that any sector of the country has the right to handle its life autonomously but the state has the right to define criteria for funding educational systems that exist inside and outside of the state system. “The state has the right to fund what it feels are in the state’s interest. It is that simple”.
“[MK Moshe] Gafne says I hate chareidim is because he is a politician who serves himself, not his tzibur. He says I hate chareidim because he is making sure to perpetuate the poverty that exists…he is a politician who always says his words are ‘daas Torah’ for if not no one would listen to him…”
Piron explains that by perpetuating the poverty Gafne ensures the tzibur he serves will continue to listen to his words.
When asked why his party locked the chareidim out of the coalition, he explains “We are all brilliant after the fact. Yes, it was an error but we had certain goals that we wished to achieve and we did not believe this was possible with the chareidim on board. Looking back it was a mistake.
Asked about his future, Piron explained that he entered the political arena to deal with education, not to become a politician. He explains that now is not the time to make any declarations for he feels the current very narrow coalition will not last for too long.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
So looking back, the chareidim were out, and the secular promised to make life better for the chareidim. Were they successful? No? Why not, the chareidim weren’t part of the gov’t and were unable to stop your plans. So what happened? The truth came out that your agenda was strictly anti-chariedi and there never was any intention to make life better for them.
Thanx Shai.
“When asked why his party locked the chareidim out of the coalition, he explains We are all brilliant after the fact. Yes, it was an error but we had certain goals that we wished to achieve and we did not believe this was possible with the chareidim on board.”
Oh really? You mean like arresting the Yeshiva Bachurim?
“Looking back it was a mistake.”
What do you mean “mistake”? You mean you really would of included the Chareidim?
What a lier.
A lier who knows the truth but is artistic at his lying profession.
He and his party ended up with one goal – to crush the hareidim. To consider similar percentages, imagine an American party whose only goal was to crush the Blacks. Even the nazis had multiple goals (build up the country, conquer the world, etc.) beyond crushing one group.
A good interview but with one subtle error.
Concerning, “The state has the right to fund what it feels are in the state’s interest. It is that simple”.
The problem is that it is not simple. For example who really owns the proceeds of the corporate income tax? This is national wealth as opposed to personal wealth. As a result there is a very large amount of money whose use is basically subject to negotiation.
In any event the problem of Haredim that can’t add or who have miserable health and hygiene, particularly dental hygeine are among the many issues that the education system needs to address. Another is the economics of renting verses owning a home as well as the general issue of being a responsible resident.
Yoseph Schreiber: That’s the way of government everywhere. You want money they control? It always comes with strings attached.