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NEWS
Barak Will not Dismantle Religious Affairs
Ministry
by Eliezer Rauchberger
At a meeting of the UTJ party in the Knesset on Monday (7
Kislev), Finance Minister Avraham Shochat related that the
decision to renew the initiative to dismantle the Religious
Affairs Ministry has been canceled. Therefore, the new
proposal to dismantle the Ministry will not be presented at
the cabinet meeting slated for this forthcoming Sunday.
Shochat related that he discussed the issue with the Prime
Minister before the meeting with the members of the UTJ, and
told him that the renewed initiative to dismantle the
Religious Affairs Ministry should be canceled, since it has
impaired the relationships between the government and the
chareidi representation in the Knesset. Barak agreed, and
said that the plan would be stashed away.
UTJ's representatives were very pleased with the
announcement of the Finance Minister, because such a measure
will prevent the suffering and deprivation of many Torah
institutions which are helped by the Religious Affairs
Ministry.
Early reports said that Barak planned to go ahead and
dismantle the Ministry now that all the chareidi parties
voted for new elections.
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