Politics and Knesset
Prior to the vote, outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid attacked the incoming government, claiming it threatened Israeli democracy.
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri will receive the interior and health ministry portfolios for two years, after which he will switch to become Finance Minister.
“We’re done being upset by the outcome of the [Nov. 1] election. We’re going to fight for our country,” says the outgoing Israeli prime minister.
Lawmaker May Golan was addressing the controversy surrounding the appointment of Noam Party head Maoz to a department in the Education Ministry.
While the sides have agreed on the allocation of roles in the prospective government, a follow-up meeting will be held to discuss other “fundamental issues.”
Israel’s outgoing PM urged municipalities not to cooperate with an educational department to be headed by lawmaker Avi Maoz.
“It’s a campaign of the minority that lost in the election against the majority that had its emphatic say at the ballot box,” MK Avi Maoz said.
Religious Zionism Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich is set to receive powers reserved in the past for the defense minister, including authority to appoint the next Civil Administration head.
“I call on the opposition to behave responsibly. We have one country, one army and one people. We must not harm them,” says Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Today we are taking another historic step to establish a Jewish, Zionist and national government,” Finance Minister-designate Bezalel Smotrich said.
“For personal reasons, completely personal, they are dragging the country into a dangerous, anti-democratic tailspin,” says Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid of the country’s incoming coalition.
The agreement will make Noam Party head Avi Maoz a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, in charge of strengthening Israel’s Jewish identity.
