MK Yaakov Litzman on Sunday night 1 Rosh Chodesh Iyar visited the Belzer Rebbe Shlita to brief the rebbe on ongoing coalition negotiations. The visit came amid reports of “significant progress” in coalition talks between the chareidim and the Likud.

According to reports, Litzman will once again serve as Deputy Health Minister with ministerial authority and Moshe Gafne will once again chair the Knesset Finance Committee. MK Meir Porush will also serve as a deputy minister.

What is significant are reports that there was progress in two areas important to Yahadut Hatorah, the prime minister’s willingness to eliminate the criminal sanctions component of the new draft law as well as returning the status of state giyur to the exclusive control of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

It is pointed out that while there are reports of major progress, no formal agreement has been signed to date and at the time of this report, none of the parties have signed on to PM Netanyahu’s new coalition.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)