Following a rebellious decision to cancel Druse inspectors on
Shabbos--a decision criticized by the Attorney General--on
Sunday, Interior Minister Avraham Poraz (Shinui) declared
"enforcing the Chometz Law is not at the top of [his] list of
priorities" and he does not intend to honor the law, which
requires his ministry to dispatch supervisors on Pesach.
Poraz' announcement drew several sharp responses among
government ministers, as tempers flared at a Cabinet meeting
on Sunday. Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) raged
against his remarks claiming there is no need to raise
sensitive issues for public debate in a propagandistic
manner. "The security and economic situation is of more
critical concern these days," he said.
Meanwhile Mafdal ministers claimed government ministers from
Shinui had made it their goal to disregard laws legislated in
the Knesset, showing scorn for the rule of law. Attorney
General Eliakim Rubinstein joined in their remarks and lodged
criticism against Shinui ministers who are trying to eat away
at laws legislated according to due process. Neither was the
Prime Minister pleased with Poraz' remarks saying, "It must
be kept in mind that we are living in a Jewish state."
The Interior Minister himself did not understand why his
remarks drew such extreme reactions and said he had not
instructed his staff not to enforce the law, but merely said
in an interview that the issue was not a major priority to
him. Poraz also claims the local authorities are supposed to
enforce the Chometz Law.
MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni said on Sunday, "The decision by
Minister Avraham Poraz, who received his post from Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon with the support of Effi Eitam, not to
uphold the law prohibiting the sale of chometz on Pesach; the
decision by Industry and Trade Minister Ehud Olmert, who
received his post thanks to his ties with Tomi Lapid and
Zevulun Orlev, not to uphold the law prohibiting commerce on
Shabbos; the decision by the Finance Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu, Tomi Lapid, Effi Eitam, Ehud Olmert and their
colleagues to starve children from large families--bring to
the point of collapse the last remaining ties between the
State of Israel and the Jewish people and the Torah. Avraham
Poraz' gaping mouth and verbal attacks are supported by Ariel
Sharon and Effi Eitam against the belief of the Jewish
people, and are lowering this Likud-Mafdal-Shinui government
to the bottommost level and all the residents of the State of
Israel will suffer as a result."
