Israel – The cabinet will vote Sunday on a “mini-reshuffle” of portfolios inside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government following Tuesday’s vote to advance the next Likud leadership race to February 23, sources close to him said.
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Netanyahu said he would not deal with the vacancies created by the departure of former interior minister Silvan Shalom until after the Likud vote. But he made an exception for Shas leader Arye Deri, who told him he was ready to replace Shalom and return to the Interior Ministry.
Deri was forced to leave the ministry 22 years ago to defend himself from allegations that led to his conviction for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. In 2000, he was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison, but he was released after 22 months.
But Deri said this week that in his trial, he was cleared of charges that he took bribes in his role as interior minister. He said his conviction was for a crime unrelated to the ministry.
Netanyahu gave Deri the Economy portfolio when the government was formed but he stepped down last month in order to enable the passage of a controversial natural gas deal. When Deri quit, Netanyahu vowed to compensate him with a senior portfolio.
The Economy portfolio is likely to go to Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, Shalom’s place in the security cabinet to Immigrant Absorption Minister Ze’ev Elkin, and the extra place at the cabinet table to coalition chairman Tzachi Hanegbi, who is expected to become communications minister.
Hanegbi faced off Tuesday for the Likud central committee chairmanship against Social Welfare Minister Haim Katz and MKs David Amsalem and Yaron Mazuz. Results were not available by press time.
More than 80 percent of the 3572 eligible voters in the race cast ballots in the race, a massive voter turnout.
At a polling station at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds, Hanegbi vowed that if he won, he intended to make sure the central committee returned to its former strength. Katz expressed confidence that he would win, and Mazuz predicted that he would receive assistance from God. Amsalem said his campaign gained steam over time.
“I have gotten stronger as the campaign has gone on,” Amsalem said after voting in Jerusalem. “Likud members are not stupid.”
Netanyahu voted in Jerusalem for his proposal to advance the primary to February 23. He is likely to run unopposed but there is a chance he could be challenged by rebellious Likud MK Oren Hazan or by MK Avi Dichter.
A real Chilul Hashem to see a frum Yid in a high position in a government which the entire existence and creation of Israel is against Hashgacha Pratis.
Almost all Gedolim prior the war held that a Jewish state before the coming of Moshicah is against the will of Hashem and it is Apikorses to think that the almighty will do something like this to “take Jews from Golus” through atheist Jews like Hertzel,Ben-Gurion,Wietzman who were chazar fressers who hated the Torah.
Reb Elchonon Wasserman ZT”L, a talmid muvek of the Chofetz Chaim, in his sefer Kovetz Mamorim quotes the Chofetz Chaim as saying the Zionists are the offspring of Amalek.
Yes, i know its tiresome to hear over and over the same thing each time i comment. But this is the truth. Thanks VIN
Just wait and soon you will see gafni will also become a minister
Even though everyone knows that the gedoilim including rav shach held the chareidim should not be ministers
And that’s why untill now only shas had in the past a minister because all the ashkenazy gedolim held you should not and thats why in the past litzman had been a sgan minister and there was no minister because the gedolim didn’t let him be a minister
So what happened now that they passed a lew you cant have a sgan minister without a minister suddenly it became ok for litzman to be a regular minister what happened with what our old gedolim always said and also gafni said in a interview a few weeks ago in the mishpacha that he is not yet a minister because the gedolim hadn’t yet made a finel decision if its allowed in sorry but it a lie they have made a finel decision our old gedolim its just that these days that think they can do whatever they like!!!!!!!
Where are our gedolim?!!!!