Degel Hatorah Chairman, MK Moshe Gafni, was furious today (Monday) during a discussion in the Finance Committee about granting Section 46 approvals to non-profit organizations - about the conduct of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the head of the Tax Authority, Attorney Shai Aharonovitz.
Following the Tax Authority's decision to remove yeshiva and kollel associations from the list of associations under Section 46, which was brought for committee approval, Gafni angrily exclaimed: "They removed all the Torah institutions? Who gave them permission? After all, there is a law in the country.".
He added: "I will not remain silent about this matter. I demand that the associations that were removed from the list be reinstated. This was done without the authority of the knit kippah wearers, the Minister of Finance and the Director of the Tax Authority and contrary to the law, and we live in a state governed by law.".
""Our biggest troubles, in the Torah world, are the ones wearing the knitted kippahs - the Minister of Finance and the Director of the Tax Authority. People who have no authority are taking out the yeshivahs, how did this happen? How did their hand not tremble?""
MK Yaakov Asher said: "What Smotrich and his friends from religious Zionism do not understand is that the next step of the attorneys and their friends will be to revoke Article 46 also from associations that are linked to 'settlers' and 'Messians' who, in their opinion, pose a danger to democracy.".
He added: "Bezalel, this is a warning light for a slippery and dangerous slope. Whoever doesn't stop it today will meet it tomorrow!""
Gafni has previously criticized the intention to exclude yeshiva associations where 'deserters' from military service study from the list of those receiving tax credits under Section 46 - and declared: "This is an open declaration of war.".
