Rift over ultra-Orthodox education funding deepens Israeli coalition woes

Steven Scheer - Reuters - 06/09
Israel's ultra-Orthodox parties, already at odds with coalition partners over demands to draft young religious men into the army, are again testing the unity of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government with a challenge over education funding.
JERUSALEM, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Israel's ultra-Orthodox parties, already at odds with coalition partners over demands to draft young religious men into the army, are again testing the unity of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government with a challenge over education funding.
The latest rift centres on an ultra-Orthodox push for schools in their separate education system to receive the same benefits as state-run schools, especially their "New Horizon" programme that adds school hours and sharply hikes teacher pay.
"For a year we have been fighting for the entry of 'New Horizon' into ultra-Orthodox institutions. There is no reason for our teachers to be discriminated against," said ultra-Orthodox Education Minister Haim Biton.
Biton, a member of Shas, one of two Orthodox parties in the right-wing coalition, said they would not quit the government over the issue. But the other ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism (UTJ), notified the coalition whip that u...
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