In her endless pursuit to persecute lomdei Torah, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara made another dramatic move this week, ordering officials to halt the “Target Price” (discounted housing) lottery, citing a “legal impediment” stemming from a High Court ruling on the draft issue, The Marker reported.
The lottery, which includes approximately 8,000 housing units, was halted at the last moment—on the very morning it was set to open. The delay came amid ministers’ push to significantly increase the share of IDF reservists eligible for top priority.
Indeed, at a meeting of the Israel Land Council earlier this week, a dramatic decision was made to raise the allocation for reservists to 50%.
At the heart of the current dispute is the Council’s decision to exclude the Chareidi sector from this requirement. It was determined that in predominantly Chareidi cities and neighborhoods, the 50% quota for reservists would not apply, in order to allow young Chareidi couples—most of whom do not serve in the reserves—to compete for housing.
Baharav-Miara threw a fit at this decision, claiming that it is “problematic and lacks legal justification.” She claimed that it is not permissible to exempt an entire population from benefits designated for those who serve, especially in light of the High Court ruling prohibiting benefits and funding for individuals defined as “draft evaders.” As a result, all lotteries have been frozen pending clarification of the legal status of the decision, leaving thousands of families in limbo.
This is yet another of Baharav-Miara’s schemes to twist the law to persecute lomdei Torah and their families. After implementing cuts to yeshiva funding, revoking daycare, after-school program, municipal tax, and public transportation subsidies, she is attempting to push avreichim and young couples out of the subsidized housing market as well. And in her latest move, she has “determined” that tax benefits for donors who contribute to yeshivos and Torah mosdos at which draft-eligible students are enrolled should be revoked.
Chareidi political sources stated: “The legal advisory system has become a weapon against the Torah world. It is unfathomable that young couples without a roof over their heads are punished simply for preserving Jewish tradition. This is deliberate harassment aimed at applying cruel economic pressure on an entire population through its most basic need—housing.”
At this stage, it remains unclear when the lottery will resume, as the High Court’s demand for full equality in the allocation of state housing resources looms in the background.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
