With Rabbinic Approval, Meir Porush Will Be Minister Of Jerusalem, Heritage – And Meron

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a surprising reversal of previous political agreements between Agudath Yisrael and the Likud, Meir Porush will be appointed as a minister, despite not appearing in the official swearing-in of the government last Thursday.

Initially Porush was not expected to be a minister, as is the custom of UTJ for many years  to serve as a deputy ministers and as he himself had served in previous Netanyahu coalitions. In the current coalition Porush was slated to be deputy minister of Jerusalem and Heritage, which includes the responsibility over Meron.

However just prior to the swearing in of Netanyahu’s sixth government, the prime minister objected to Porush being a deputy minister as in that role he could not be responsible for implementing the conclusions of the Meron Committee. Netanyahu explained that the committee required ministerial responsibility over the site.

Porush said that he would consult with his rabbis about what to do and on Monday it was announced that he would serve as a minister and be responsible among other aspects for the Hilula on Lag Ba’omer.

Porush’s appointment means that Agudath Yisrael now have an unprecedented two government ministers, while Degel Hatorah remain in the traditional position of refusing to take official governmental positions. Moshe Gafni is the head of the finance committee while Uri Maklev serves as deputy minister of transportation.

Journalist Yair Ettinger explained that in the first government of Israel Agudath Yisrael’s Yitzchak Meir Levin served as a minister (resigning in 1952 over the female draft law) but from 1977 when Agudah returned to the government the Council Of Torah Sages prevented Agudah Knesset members from joining the government as ministers as this meant that they are responsible for implementing desecration of Shabbat and other prohibitions.

In 2015, The Supreme Court forced Yaakov Litzman to become a minister and take responsibility as Health Minister but he later resigned in protest over Shabbat desecration in constructing railways in Tel Aviv. Yet Litzman’s initial appointment, approved by Agudah’s Council of Torah Sages, paved the way for Yitzchak Goldknopf to serve as Construction Minister.

When Goldknopf was invited to be part of the security cabinet, the Degel Hatorah faction furiously opposed the move, as it would imply a further level of participation in national affairs, which the Lithuanian gedolim are reluctant to accept. Goldknopf eventually backed down from serving in the security cabinet, but as Ettinger says, the new ministerial appointments demonstrate a recognition that the chareidim are now an influential part of the state of Israel and therefore must share responsibility for its future.