Ultra-Orthodox leader Yitzchak Goldknopf on Sunday said he believed the political crisis threatening the alliance of Ashkenazi Haredi parties will be resolved and the factions will run together in November 1 elections.
Speaking to Ynet Radio on Sunday, Goldknopf, who represents the Hasidic sector in the alliance, said all ultra-Orthodox politicians involved, want to see a united party run in the November elections.
"With God's help we will resolve the matter, we all want to run together and preserve the right-wing and religious parliamentary bloc," He said.
The crisis began earlier this year, when the leader of the Belz Hasidic dynasty began negotiations with the Ministry of Education to open schools for his flock, that would include non-religious learning, in exchange for state budgets.
Under the law, schools that do not offer their students, basic English, math and science, cannot receive government funding.
Meanwhile religious communities are among the most impoverished in Israeli society, with men making up only a small portion of the workforce and qualify mostly for low paying jobs, when they leave the Yeshiva world.
Women are the bread earners in most homes and families typically have many children.
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Residents in the Ultra-Orthodox Mea She'arim neighborhood of Jerusalem
(Photo: Amit Shabi)
The move caused outrage among the non-Hassidic sector of the ultra-Orthodox community, who are partners in the political alliance.
They vehemently reject any study that is not strictly religious in nature, from being offered in their schools for boys, and are opposed to any government interference in their study program. They, therefore, rely on funds donated from religious communities around the world.
If an agreement between the parties is not reached before the deadline to submit candidate lists for the upcoming elections later this week, the Knesset bloc led by opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu – will almost certainly fail to win a majority and the ultra-Orthodox parties, should they run separately – may not cross the minimum threshold required to enter the parliament.
"Netanyahu is concerned because of the risk to his chances," Goldknopf said, " He may lose up to eight seats. But he cannot tell us what to do."
He lamented the financial difficulties that ultra-Orthodox schools operate under and said that Israel should not allow Haredi children to study in basements and other inappropriate locations.
However, the new politician, who is set to serve his first term as a member of Knesset, rejected the law linking financial assistance, to the school curriculum.
"There was no talk of such studies on Mount Sinai when the Torah was given to the Jewish people," he said. "I've lived here for many years and I don't recall that the Declaration of Independence calls for non-religious studies," the Haredi politician said.
"People are struggling to make ends meet and to find affordable housing, and I don't see the fact that they studied English and math, changing that," he said.
Goldknopf became leader of his Hassidic faction after his predecessor, Yaakov Litzman was forced to leave the Knesset in disgrace having pleading guilty to charges that he assisted a suspected pedophile, to avoid justice.
Litzman interfered in the psychiatric evaluation of Malca Leifer, suspected of sexual assault of her students in Australia, while he was health minister, allowing her to argue she must not be put on trial.
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Accused pedophile Malca Leifer in court before being extradited to Australia to stand trial
(Photo: Amit Shabi)
Goldknopf also slammed Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli (Labor) for her intention of providing public transportation on the Sabbath.
Despite polling indicating up to 70% of Israelis favor Michaeli's plan, he insisted that most Israelis would like to spend their Sabbath in prayer and claimed the minister was only courting voters on the left.
"You are talking about investing in public transport on the Sabbath, which we all know is not profitable and has no public support, while thousands of children are forced to study in makeshift classrooms," Goldknopf said.