Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni charged Thursday that senior Finance Ministry officials had repeatedly threatened to withhold funding from yeshivos and the olam haTorah in an effort to pressure him into abandoning his support for Israel’s regional councils and agricultural sector.
Gafni leveled the accusation during a gathering of regional council heads and political party leaders at the Regional Government Center, where he stressed that he has consistently backed local authorities and agricultural communities, including on occasions when their interests conflicted with positions taken by Finance Ministry officials.
Addressing those gathered, Gafni rejected any suggestion that his political decisions were dictated exclusively by the interests of the Chareidi community and said he had faced direct pressure because of positions he took on behalf of other sectors.
“I have never been bought off by sectoral interests, and make no mistake about that,” Gafni declared. “There were many times when Finance Ministry officials directly threatened me that if I supported the regional councils, agriculture, and issues important to you, they would freeze funding for yeshivas and the Torah world.”
Gafni said those threats did not cause him to change course and vowed that similar pressure would not influence his decisions going forward.
“I stood up to them. I did not give in then, and no one should think I will give in in the future.”
The veteran Degel HaTorah leader went on to describe the strengthening of Israel’s peripheral communities and agricultural sector as an important national priority, pledging to continue advocating for the regional councils.
“I have always supported you and will continue to help you with all my strength. The regional councils and Israeli agriculture are a critical and central pillar of the State of Israel’s resilience.”
Looking ahead to the government that will be formed following the upcoming elections, Gafni said regional authorities should receive greater attention and resources, including reforms designed to give local councils the ability to properly carry out their responsibilities.
“The next government to be formed will need to prioritize strengthening regional government, and advance genuine reforms that provide the councils with all the tools and resources they need to function, and I will be there to make sure that happens.”
