Ultra-Orthodox Knesset members shy away from minister title
For many years, Israel's ultra-Orthodox politicians preferred to be nominated deputy ministers and not ministers, shrugging off official responsibility for a Jewish state run differently than their understanding of Jewish-religious rules.
Israel witnessed a political uproar last week following a debate of a special five-judge panel in the High Court of Justice on July 7. It appeared from the debate that the court would not accept that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also serves as a minister of the offices of foreign affairs, health, communications and regional cooperation.
The petition to the High Court was submitted by Yesh Atid, after Knesset member Yaakov Litzman, the chairman of Yahadut HaTorah, was appointed deputy minister of health “with the status of minister.” Aside from Litzman, two other deputy ministers serve in the government without a minister above them: Deputy Minister of Communications Ofir Akunis and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely. But Yesh Atid’s petition was targeted specifically at the nomination of Litzman, arguing that he is the only one serving as deputy minister and acting as minister.
The situation of the deputy minister of health acting as the minister of health was agreed upon during the coalition negotiations between Netanyahu's representatives and YaHadut HaTorah members. In fact, Knesset members of ultra-Orthodox Sephardic (of Middle Eastern origin) parties — namely Shas, the second-largest ultra-Orthodox party in the Knesset — do not seek deputy minister nominations. Shas head Aryeh Deri actually serves as minister of economy.
According to the chairman of Yesh Atid, Yair Lapid, one of the reasons for the petition is the ideology behind the blanket refusal of the Ashkenazi (of Eastern European origin) ultra-Orthodox politicians of Yahadut HaTorah to serve as ministers in a Zionist government.
