Knesset Advances Bill Changing Daycare Subsidy Rules

The Knesset plenum on Wednesday advanced legislation that would determine daycare subsidy eligibility based solely on a mother’s income or educational status. The measure passed its first reading by a 44-37 margin. The bill, titled Law on Admission of a Child to a Daycare Center and State Participation in Tuition Costs, was sponsored by MK Moshe Gafni of United Torah Judaism and other haredi lawmakers.

It would remove consideration of a father’s employment status when assessing eligibility.

The legislation will now go to the Knesset House Committee for further debate and requires three additional readings before it can become law. Ahead of the vote, Gafni had reportedly threatened to support opposition bills calling for a state commission of inquiry into October 7 government failures.

The coalition rearranged the agenda to vote on the daycare bill before those inquiry measures. After the daycare bill passed, the opposition withdrew its October 7 probe proposals from the schedule.

Shas party leader Arye Deri and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir voted in favor. MK Dan Illouz of Likud voted against. MK Efrat Rayten of the Democrats said the legislation was designed to bypass a High Court ruling and subsidize families of draft evaders.

Haredi lawmakers celebrated the result in the plenum. The vote occurred amid ongoing coalition tensions, including recent preliminary passage of a bill to dissolve the Knesset.