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On the occasion of two-day budget deliberations in parliament, they paraded through Jerusalem on Tuesday evening waving Israeli flags, beating drums and accusing the governing coalition of “looting” the state’s treasury.
60 million francs for religious studies
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled since December in a coalition of far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. On Monday, he announced that the draft budget would provide the equivalent of 60 million Swiss francs to benefit married ultra-Orthodox men who pursue religious studies rather than work. The deal was made at the last minute with United Torah Judaism, one of the ultra-Orthodox coalition parties, to secure their approval of the budget.
The budgets of various ministries traditionally also include items for strictly religious communities.
Opposition leader Jair Lapid said the budget was “disadvantageous” for ultra-Orthodox Jews because it would not encourage them to participate more actively in the country’s economy. “This is a budget that encourages people not to get higher education, not work, not take care of their children,” Lapid said. The budget contains “no growth engine, no compensation for the high cost of living, only endless extortionate rates.” he criticized.
Demonstrations against the restructuring of the justice system
The demonstration was organized by the same activist group that has been coordinating protests against the government’s planned reform of the judiciary since January.
The government plan aims to reduce the powers of the judiciary and the Supreme Court and to strengthen the position of parliament and the prime minister. The reform would allow parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions by a simple majority.
While in late March Netanyahu had called for a “pause” in the reform legislative process despite mass protests “to give dialogue a chance”, this had not soothed the minds of many critics.
(AFP)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
