Government housing discounts that were meant to benefit all sectors of Israeli society have been disproportionately awarded to haredim, even though Israel's affordable housing shortage has devastated many secular and Zionist Orthodox families, as well. And who made these disproportionate grants to haredim, who make up less than 10% of Israel's population? Israel's haredi Minister of Housing and Construction, Ariel Atias.
Globes reports:
Even as the Ministry of Housing and Construction late last week proudly presented the results of its "price for resident" housing tenders in Yokne'am, and boasted that the tenders closed at a 20% discount - NIS 186,000 per unit - on the market price, no one bothered to mention that the ministry closed similar tenders in Betar Illit, Efrat, and Jerusalem's Har Homa neighborhood - all areas intended for haredi (ultra-orthodox) and religious residents at discounts of 35-63% on the market price, or NIS 530,000-710,000 per unit.
A source involved in the tenders said, "It turns out that too big discounts are being granted to a too limited public, at a time with it is not clear if there are any discounts at all in tenders for the general population."…
And who is the Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Construction?
Ariel Atias of the Sefardic haredi Shas political party.