Approved: Article 46 for Haredi NGOs • "double crime"

After the storm due to the delay in the approval of Article 46 for Haredi associations by the Finance Minister Yair Lapid, the Finance Committee approved the section today (Monday) for dozens of Haredi organizations, when the significance of the approval is that a person who donated in the tax year money to an institution classified as a public institution - is acquitted of that year's tax 35 percent of the total contribution.

As recalled, a brief period ago Finance Committee chairman MK Nissan Slomiansky prevented the approval of the list submitted by the Finance Associations to Section 46, after it was revealed that out of 81 NGOs submitted for approval by Torch - he gave the committee 19 only. MK Gafni said then that Lapid prevented the approval of other NGOs because they are haredi associations and called Lapid "haredim hater."

Following pressures on Lapid for refusing to approve the list of NGOs, he finally gave up and decided to approve the entire list - including Haredi charity associations. As mentioned, today the complete list was submitted to the Commission for approval.

In a hearing held before the vote, Gaffney said that one should put an end to the abuse of haredi organizations by Lapid "Only hatred of haredim is at Lapid's heart", Gafni reiterates in a conversation with Behadrey Haredim after the hearing, "This is a twofold crime. Not only are foundations who help underserved populations not funded by the government, but Lapid also wanted to prevent their possibility to raise funds on an ongoing basis as other organizations can raise. I hope that indeed we have seen the end of the affair and Lapid will stop pursuing the Haredim."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!