A new bill introduced by MK Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism would impose far-reaching economic penalties on individuals convicted of working with Iranian agents, drawing directly on the same legal reasoning that has been used to justify sanctions against yeshiva bochurim who refuse to serve in the IDF.
The legislation would strip those convicted of spying for Iran of a wide range of government benefits and financial incentives. Among the measures outlined in the proposal are the loss of academic scholarships, income tax credit points, National Insurance payments, housing discounts, daycare assistance, reduced fares on public transportation, and government aid programs for purchasing a home.
Porush based the proposal on positions previously advanced by the Attorney General’s Office before the Supreme Court. In those proceedings, the state presented a list of “personal enforcement measures” aimed at yeshiva students, arguing that the withholding of financial benefits constitutes a lawful and proportionate deterrent.
The bill’s explanatory notes directly invoke that rationale. “If the legal counsel believes that denying daycare subsidies is a legitimate enforcement tool, then all the more so it should be applied to those who act to harm the State,” the bill’s explanatory notes state.
Porush also delivered a pointed jab at the Attorney General’s Office while promoting the measure. “I am certain that the Attorney General’s Office will support the proposal,” he said sarcastically, “since it is clear that the bodies responsible for law enforcement wish to stop espionage on behalf of Iran no less than they wish to persecute Torah learners.”
I dont get it. Are they also drafting mothers with babies as well? Is their crime also that they’re married to a ben torah?
I 100% oppose the cancellation of day care benefits but in fairness you need to understand it. No woman whose husband does not work or is not in an accredited college is eligible for these benefits. An exception used to be made for those whose husbands are in Yeshiva. Now that exception was removed if the husband never served in the draft or received any other exemption. An Arab woman whose husband is in a madrassa would not receive these benefits either.