Shas MK Michael Malkieli launched a scathing attack on former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday night, accusing him of hostility toward the chareidi community and warning voters not to trust his promises following Bennett’s pledge to overhaul and defund independent chareidi school networks if he returns to office.
Speaking in an interview with Kikar HaShabbat, Malkieli reacted sharply to Bennett’s recent statements regarding chareidi education.
“I say, understand who is standing before us,” Malkieli said. “But I call on those who are considering voting for Bennett: if you think he can become prime minister and give everyone everything they demand, then you do not understand what kind of swindler you are dealing with.”
Malkieli intensified his criticism, questioning Bennett’s credibility and leadership.
“Don’t believe a word he says, he is hollow. Even people within his own camp understand that. They know this is a person who will sell everything.”
Bennett’s Education Proposal Sparks Outrage
Malkieli’s remarks came in response to comments Bennett made earlier this week outlining his vision for a unified national education system and his intention to end government funding for independent party-affiliated school networks.
Under Bennett’s proposal, networks such as Bnei Yosef and Chinuch Atzmai would no longer receive state funding unless they join a unified national educational framework.
Bennett unveiled the plan as part of an initiative titled “From Tribes to One Nation,” which seeks to create a single education system across Israel and eliminate what he describes as separate educational sectors.
According to the proposal, government funding for independent and party-affiliated educational systems would be halted immediately unless they comply with the new standards.
Bennett: ‘A Separate Chareidi State Has Emerged Within Israel’
Speaking at the Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society hosted by the Israel Democracy Institute, Bennett sharply criticized the current structure of chareidi education.
“A separate, anti-Zionist chareidi state has arisen under our noses within Israel. And we are financing it with our own money,” Bennett said.
He argued that future governments must reverse decades of educational policy.
“In the next government, we are going to correct the historic mistake of creating separate education systems that created separate states,” Bennett declared.
He summarized the principle behind his proposal with the slogan: “If it is not state-run, it will not be funded by me.”
Under the educational framework Bennett presented, at least 60 percent of classroom hours would be devoted to core subjects, including Hebrew, English, mathematics, Tanach, civics, and Zionism. Schools would be permitted to use the remaining instructional hours for additional educational content of their choosing.
{Matzav.com}
If you want proof of who he is, consider that he chose the current AG and we are still suffering the consequences. In fact, most of the chareidi problems are because of her