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The Cabinet Approves: More Money for the Religious Councils
Local municipalities will contribute less to the religious council budgets, and the difference will be made up by the government, with money set aside in a special fund.
The Socio-Economic Cabinet approved this morning the participation of the government in supplementing the religious council budgets from 2010 – 2012. In addition, criteria were defined for determining how much the local municipalities will still be required to contribute to the religious councils within their jurisdictions.
The decision to change the funding system was made in order to remove some of the financial burden from the local municipalities, who at present are responsible for coming up with a large percentage of the funds needed by the religious councils. Beginning in 2010, the government will supply most of the funding for the religious councils, while the municipalities will contribute only a small percentage of the total budget in each jurisdiction.
During the Socio-Economic Cabinet meeting, Dr. Yuval Steinitz also discussed the details of Israel's inclusion in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Industry, Trade, and Labor Minister, Fuad Ben-Eliezer, together with Education Minister, Gidon Sa'ar, reported to the participants in the meeting on the recent hearings of the OECD in Paris. In addition, the Ministers discussed how their respective offices have prepared for the event of Israel formally joining the organization in the first half of 2010.
The Socio-Economic Cabinet also approved government spending for the research of seas and lakes in Israel.
Illegal Aliens Attacked Inspectors from the Oz Deportation Unit with Tear Gas 6 Inspectors showed up this morning to arrest illegal workers who have been in Israel for 10 years, and were attacked with tear gas.
Herzog: Immediately Freeze the Water Price Hike Minister Herzog has asked the Prime Minister to immediately cancel the rise in water rates, but at the same time, to significantly increase the price of excessive water use.
Adava Report: Education in Israel is For the Rich According to a report publicized this morning, the State of Israel has created a segregated education system - "for the rich only" – whereby many school functions are funded by private money donated to the schools by the parents of the students. The report therefore claims that Israel's students are the victims of "natural selection".