The UTJ party signed a coalition deal with the Likud party in the early morning hours of Thursday morning following Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu’s call to President Herzog before midnight on Wednesday night informing him that he successfully formed a new government.

The agreement includes 139 clauses, including the revocation of the taxes on disposable tableware and sweet drinks, the revocation of the kashrus reform advanced by Matan Kahana, and the revocation of the laws of the election of municipal Rabbanim, which led, among other things, to the removal of a number of Rabbanim appointed before 1973.

Within 30 days of the establishment of the government, the kosher cell phone reforms advanced by Yoaz Handel will be revoked.

The budget for Chareidi schools will be increased to a comparable budget to those of secular schools. The agreement states: “Starting in 2023, all budgets for the educational institutions of the Chareidi sector will be comparable to those of secular institutions. The salaries of teachers, kindergarten teachers, and assistants in Chareidi  education will be made equal to the salaries in general education in all areas…”

It was also agreed that a law will be enacted prohibiting the entry of chometz in hospitals; that the government will advance giyur reform dictating that giyur can only be carried out through a State giyur body, and a law will be advanced that will override the Supreme Court stating that “giyur carried out in Israel will be recognized by law only if it was carried out through the state conversion system which will be subject to the rulings of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.” This will preclude recognition of private conversions, including Reform conversions.

It was also agreed that within 60 days of the establishment of the government, a committee will be established with representatives of all parties in the coalition that will formulate legislative amendments on the grandchild clause of the Law of Return, and the legislative amendments will be enacted by the passing of the 2023 budget.

It was also agreed that a recruitment law will be formulated before the passing of the 2023 budget but prior to that, a Basic Law on the value of limmud Torah will be enacted that will establish the value of limmud Torah in the Basic Law of Human Dignity and Freedom.

The yeshivah budget will increase to NIS 2.5 billion and will be included in the budget base for the first time in the State’s history.

It was also agreed that within 90 days of the establishment of the government, Yitzchak Goldknopf and Aryeh Deri will jointly announce a location to establish a new Chareidi city instead of the city of Kasif that was established by the outgoing government. Legislation will also be advanced to require the appointment of a Charedi representative on the Israel Land Authority committee.

In order to revoke the legislation on the import of fur that would endanger the shtreimel industry, it was also agreed that “any legislation regarding fur which may affect a religious way of life will be brought for consultation and agreement with the UTJ party before it is advanced.”

The agreement also states that “harm to the lifestyles of the Chareidi and religious public in distinctly Chareidi and religious residential areas where the Charedi and religious public constitutes a large majority will be avoided.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)