Dozens of kollel wives from the Dati Leumi sector held a protest outside the Knesset on Monday – together with their children – against the cut to daycare subsidies for kollel families.

The women brought various play structures and toys and set up what they called the “Prime Minister’s Daycare.” [The world for daycare in Hebrew – maon – also means “residence.”]

The women, who are part of the “Torasan Emunasan” forum, organized the protest after meetings with Yamina MKs failed to lead to a change in the decree, which Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman spearheaded in order to specifically harm lomdei Torah from the Chareidi sector.

Public figures and members of Knesset joined the protest in support of the women, including UTJ MKs Moshe Gafni, Yaakov Litzman, Uri Maklev, Yitzchak Pindrus and Yaakov Asher (see videos below) as well as Religious Zionist party MKs Betzalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Avi Maoz, and Michal Waldiger.

Even Yamina MK Nir Auerbach showed up, despite the fact that his vote to form the current coalition is what enabled Lieberman and Kahana to implement their anti-religious decrees. Orbach briefly considered voting against the current government but ultimately decided to support it.

“We don’t want the world of Torah to be harmed at all,” Orbach said. “We are in contact with the Finance Ministry and Finance Minister and the Attorney General to prevent this harm.”

However, when Lieberman was asked on Monday about discussions of possible changes to the law, he said that he is unaware of any such discussions. Additionally, it is possible that Orbach is working on a solution for only the Dati Leumi sector by excluding men who served in the army from the daycare cuts, a possibility he has mentioned in the past but is legally problematic. The Dati Leumi sector vehemently rejected that solution, saying that they wanted a solution for all lomdei Torah.

MK Asher told the women: “The mutual sense of responsibility of lomdei Torah is very important during this difficult test. We won’t allow Lieberman to harm the Torah world. No one will succeed in breaking our spirit. On behalf of tens of thousands of women, I thank you for your initiative and your struggle.”

“[These women] are heroes and tzadikos who are moser nefesh for limmud Torah and are paying a heavy price because it’s not important enough for Orbach and [Yamina MK Idit] Silman to bang on the table against Lieberman for his hatred for Torah v’lomdeha,” Smotrich wrote on Twitter. “Busha.”

ח"כ משה גפני במחאת "מעון ראש הממשלה" של פורום "תורתם אומנותן" מול הכנסת:

"אני לא חשבתי שאבוא אי פעם להפגנה של הציונות הדתית, אבל קיימת יותר ויותר הזדהות בינינו בזכות ליברמן. pic.twitter.com/rozQtXVhRi

— דביר עמר (@dviramar2) November 1, 2021

מאבק חוצה מגזרים של נשות האברכים: ח"כ מקלב הגיע למחאת מעון ראש הממשלה לתמוך בנשות הציונות הדתית הנאבקות כנגד גזירת המעונות של שר האוצר אביגדור ליברמן pic.twitter.com/LphL1Q6aHF

— ישראל כהן (@Israelcohen911) November 1, 2021

יצאנו עכשיו מהכנסת לפגוש את נשות האברכים בציונות הדתית שהקימו מעון מול הכנסת במחאה על ביטול סבסוד מעונות היום של ילדיהן. גיבורות וצדיקות שמוסרות את הנפש על לימוד התורה ומשלמות מחיר כבד כי לאורבך וסילמן זה לא מספיק חשוב כדי לדפוק על השולחן מול ליברמן ושנאתו לתורה ולומדיה. בושה. pic.twitter.com/hZHDMY1iqt

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) November 1, 2021

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)