JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Israeli High Court is expected to announce its decision Thursday regarding petitions against the appointment of Shas leader Aryeh Deri to a ministerial position.
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Deri’s appointment as interior and health minister is being challenged at the High Court, due to his conviction last year for tax offenses. Deri, who previously served jail time for an earlier graft conviction, pleaded guilty to the tax charges last year as part of a plea deal in which he resigned from the Knesset and received a suspended prison sentence.
The High Court heard appeals in the case earlier this month and is expected to issue a ruling this week on Deri on whether it is “reasonable” for Deri to return to ministerial office. It may also weigh in on legislation passed last month for his benefit that allows an individual with a suspended sentence to be a minister.
Deri said during a Shas faction meeting Monday that he will not resign even if the court rules against him according to a Channel 13 report
Several Shas politicians have stated publicly in recent days that they are fully expecting the High Court to rule that Deri cannot hold office.
If Deri refuses to resign, it will likely fall to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire him. Should Netanyahu, who is himself on trial in a trio of graft cases, refuse to do so, the unprecedented rejection of the ruling would likely prompt fresh petitions to the High Court demanding he be compelled to dismiss Deri, his most senior coalition partner.
“To fire me or not — it’s Netanyahu’s business,” Deri was quoted as saying by the network.
Shas members also warned that if Netanyahu would fire Deri and not promote swift legislation enabling him to return to his ministerial position, there would not be a government. “We will recommend to the council of Torah sages to dismantle the government,” they said.
Even if the court disqualifies him, Deri does not intend to return the ministries to the Likud and is considering leaving them in the hands of one of his party members in the meantime.
Shas member and minister Chaim Bitton told Kikar Hashabat that “It cannot be possible that this group decides time after time to persecute Aryeh Deri. I’m not getting into the process of how this happened, we will stand firm and do everything so that there will not be one second when he will not be minister. If they bring the “reasonable” standard with which they have tried to take control of the country, we will respond in the sharpest manner to restore him to his position.”
Shas MK Avraham Betzalel added that if the court would disqualify Deri, they are “shooting themselves in the head.”
Corruption at its finest
What a government in Israel! Convicted criminals running it. Here in America and all other European democracies, a convicted criminal, found guilty in a court of law cannot hold office. But Israel hey -why not.
why is HIS personal title of minister MORE important than the entire government
is being a minister above all? so all the talk of saving the country from the left was just a joke?
reminds me of a baby throwing a tantrum and breaking dishes, in a “if i can’t have it nobody can” moment
Where is the Achrayus of the Shas party? How can they make all of the possible benefits of this government depend on one man receiving a job? Is there nobody else who can do that job? The bais hakvaros is filled with irreplaceable people
Unfortunately, until there are reforms in the judicial system, Netanyahu has to honor tge rulings of the Supreme Court. Deri has to understand that and quit whining and shedding his crocodile tears.
The only positive outcome here is they disqualify him, and Netanyahu quickly creates and enacts the laws they need to create anyway which reigns in the court’s powers. If they allow him to be a minister, that legislation will never happen, and the perpetually leftist judges will continue to do their damage forever.
Correction: MK Deri received a “conditional/probationary sentence” , the law in its plain reading prevents those individuals who have been recently incarcerated from serving as minister.
Legal concepts don’t always translate easily.
How is there any leverage in a threat to dismantle the govt to people who kvell for nothing else!?
This is the same ideology that goes after Trump and his people, but fails to see anything wrong in biden.
The same people that have a issue with Santos saying he is Jewish while have no issue democrats claim to be of Indian descent and are not.