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Home and Family
Religious Affairs Ministry to be Dismantled This Month
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

The Government unanimously approved dismantling of the Ministry of Religious Affairs at its weekly Cabinet meeting last Sunday. The areas currently under its jurisdiction will be transferred to other ministries, thereby safeguarding the rights of its employees. Acting Religious Affairs Minister Yossi Beilin said the Religious Affairs Ministry will be closed by the end of the month.

Prime Minster Barak has formed a team of ministers to implement the decision, headed by acting Religious Affairs Minister Yossi Beilin. The team includes the following ministers: Shochat, Melchior, Raanan Cohen, Ben Eliezer, Ramon and the Education Minister.

At the meeting, Prime Minster Barak said that this is the first step toward the realization of his social-civil reform. Barak stressed that the dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry is not a new idea, but had been raised by previous governments. He noted that the chief rabbis had also proposed that such measures be taken after the coalition was formed.

The Prime Minster stressed that this step was being taken for reasons of efficiency and economy. "We have no intention of provoking the religious sector or to clash with religion. Our aim is to work toward achieving a tolerant, well-functioning society guaranteeing suitable services for its citizens and safeguarding their basic rights," he said.

Attorney General Eliyakim Rubinstein noted at the meeting that the Religious Affairs Ministry has the highest level of politicization of all ministries. He said that one of the first suggestions he made to the Prime Minster after the elections was to close the Ministry. "My reason was that in the previous government, Ministry activities bordered on the limits of legality," he added.

Acting Religious Affairs Minister Yossi Beilin, one of the initiators of the idea to close the Ministry, said that this measure won't harm the religious sector. He added that most of those who suggested closure of the Ministry were religious people from all parties who complained that the Ministry suffers from politicization.

Beilin also said that the budget of the Religious Affairs Ministry amounts to NIS 1.6 billion, one billion of which are directed to yeshivos, 100 million to income support for avreichim and 150-200 million for building synagogues and mikvo'os. In Beilin's opinion, the budgets will remain basically the same, while dismantling of the Ministry will save many millions of shekels.

According to the proposal, which will be further examined by the ministerial committee, subsidy of yeshivos will be handled by the Education Ministry; support for avreichim will fall under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry or the Chief Rabbinate, while the affairs of the Moslem and Christian sectors will fall under the Interior Affairs Ministry or the Office of the Prime Minister. Also allowances to yeshiva students will be managed by the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry, and rabbinic courts will come under the auspices of the Justice Ministry.

The ministerial committee will also discuss the status of the Chief Rabbinate, which will either function as an independent authority or under the jurisdiction of the Justice Ministry or the Interior Ministry.

Dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry will not, at this point, include the religious councils. Changing them requires Knesset approval which the government cannot muster.

At the meeting, it was related that the main branch of the Religious Affairs Ministry employs only fifty permanent workers, whose employment benefits will be safeguarded.

Minister Daliah Itzik said that it is important that the issue not be presented as an act of vengeance against anyone. Prime Minister Barak reacted by saying, "It's not a matter of vengeance. It is something beneficial for all citizens of the state, including its religious ones, which doesn't undermine Jewish tradition."

Minister of Social and Diaspora Affairs Michael Melchior explained his reason for supporting the plan, saying, "The religious councils have caused the politicization of religious services in the state. Most of their activities were meant to strengthen political campaigns instead of providing true responses to the religious needs of the nation." Melchior said that as a member of the ministerial committee he will attempt to guarantee services to all citizens of the state -- both religious and non-religious -- which will be significantly better than existing ones and not dependent upon political or other arbitrary decisions.

MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz (UTJ) said that he does not object to the move, in principle. Still, he believes that a double standard is being practiced within the government, because over the years, many ministries were established to give jobs to politicians. His main concern over the proposal, he said, is that anti-religious considerations will determine cutbacks in the various ministries when the religious services are part of general ministries.

Rabbi Ravitz said, "You can imagine if they have budget problems, where they will cut first. You don't have to use too much imagination."

Following the cabinet vote, Beilin said that disbanding the ministry now requires only an official statement by the prime minister to the Knesset.

 

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