Bennett Vows to Cut Funding for Haredi Institutions That Skip Draft, Core Studies
Opposition candidate Naftali Bennett vows to halt funding for Haredi institutions skipping IDF prep and core subjects, aiming to reform Israel's education.
Jerusalem, 2 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Opposition bloc candidate Naftali Bennett, chairman of the Beyachad party, on Friday unveiled his “From Tribes to a Nation” education plan, pledging to immediately halt state funding for schools that do not prepare students for IDF service or devote at least 60% of classroom hours to core subjects, including Hebrew, English, mathematics, Bible, civics and Zionism.
Bennett said he would instead invest in Haredi public schools and seek to reform Israel’s separate education systems.
Bennett posted on X that he had discussed the plan during a late-night conversation with Haredi residents in a Bnei Brak sukkah. He argued that continued education without core subjects and against military service would undermine the IDF, economy, and high-tech sector.
Bennett said he would pursue “zero funding” for institutions that neither serve nor teach Zionism and core subjects, saying the policy would be implemented “first and foremost for the benefit of Haredi society.”