Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett succeeded in redefining the scope of authority of the Ministry of Religious Services, which is going to be controlled by his party. As a result of limitations regarding the number of ministerial posts, the control of the ministry will be in the hands of Deputy Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, operating in the same fashion R’ Yaakov Litzman ran the Ministry of Health while being a deputy minister. There will be no minister of religious services and Ben-Dahan will enjoy ministerial authority.
The new expanded ministry will have exclusive control of all state religious services. The coalition agreement compels moving authority for various agencies to the ministry within 30 days. This includes the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, which will now be under the ministry and not the Prime Minister’s Office; control of the Holy Sites; state giyur; and shmitah.
It appears the agreements also give Bennett and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid veto power regarding chareidi parties joining the coalition at a later date. That is to say without their approval; Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu cannot bring Shas or Yahadut Hatorah onboard.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Religious Ministry was waiting for some changes.
Another resemblance to the creature that flaunts its hooves “I’m kosher”
(R’ Elyashiv preferred that for the safety of judaism, it’s better to shut the religious minstry.)
There is a documented conversation held 60 years ago between David Ben Gurion (Y”S), and Yeshayahu Leibowitz, a lead religious zionist (albeit one whose views would sound almost hareidi today). The latter was arguing for separation of religion and state. Ben Gurion thought that would be a horrible idea since he needed to be able to control religion so he could use as tool for serving the ends of the state.
The function of a ministry of religious affairs is ever to support religion, but to control and subordinate religion to the needs of the state.
#3 Enough enough….
Bennett tried to united all the religious parties and offered SHAS the same deal he ultimately made with Lapid. He was turned down flat.
I guess they now have to suffer the consequences. If there can’t be Achdus among the religous parties and the Frum world in general, then we all suffer for the selfishness of our so-called leaders. Each group only cares about the funding for their specific institutions and not for each other.