Internal Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi surprised both
police and the media with his decision to appoint Southern
Region Commander Moshe Karadi, the youngest of all the major
generals in the police force, to the post of police
commissioner. Just 44 years old and in a few months he'll be
Israel's top cop. But to those who know Hanegbi his choice
should come as no surprise.
Tzachi Hanegbi is known for his great fondness for political
appointments. He built up his power in the Likud Center by
handing out jobs to his friends and associates. But alas,
there is a slight problem at the Ministry of Internal
Security: the lack of political appointments. It's a bit hard
to make his buddies and members of the Likud Center into high-
ranking police commanders.
By appointing Karadi, Hanegbi was able to solve his problem.
Not placing a veteran police officer in the post promises to
result in a series of appointments in the upper ranks of the
police force during the coming year. For the moment the
youngest commander is named police commissioner, realizing
they have no longer any chance of getting promoted to the top
of the hierarchy, presumably all -- or certainly most -- of
the 20-odd older commanders will resign in the near future,
allowing Hanegbi to fulfill his great ambition--appointments.
Such a smorgasbord of appointments and promotions for young
officers as the upheaval expected in the police force in the
coming year -- at least 30 or 40 posts -- has not been seen
for a long time.
Every ranking officer invariably has friends, relatives,
neighbors and acquaintances in the Likud Center. Outside
Hanegbi's offices a long line of people asking for coveted
promotions and appointments for one ranking police officer or
another is certain to form. Hanegbi will have an abundant
arsenal of appointments at his disposal, meaning he will have
no problem supplying the goods for almost all comers. As long
as these Likud Center and other party members remember him
when the time comes.
How Talmudei Torah "Celebrate" Independence Day
Knesset Education Committee chairman Ilan Shalgi (Shinui)
does not pass up any opportunity to raise issues that goad
the chareidi public and the chareidi education system. If
someone bothers to check the statistics he will be sure to
find the relative number of committee meetings dedicated to
religious issues is far greater than in the past, when the
committee chairman did not hail from Shinui.
Recently Shalgi decided to hold a meeting to discuss the
latest "scandal" at chareidi educational institutions: the
failure of talmudei Torah to close their doors on the
Independence Day holiday. Of course cheder boys have
always held classes as usual on this day, only until now
nobody took any interest in the matter. Live and let live.
Then along came Shinui, the party that is always speaking out
against religious coercion and touting freedom of conscience,
freedom of religion, freedom of this and freedom of that.
Chareidi MKs realized immediately where the discussion was
headed and they sat back to enjoy the show. Indeed Shalgi
seemed to think all along he was conducting a meeting of
great import and his expression became very serious as he
listened to the following explanations.
MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni explained that Torah study brings joy
and thus chareidi students express their happiness by
learning on Independence Day. "There is one day in the year
on which Torah study is forbidden and that's Tisha B'Av, for
it is a day of mourning the destruction of the Temple. Do you
want them not to study Torah on Independence Day as well,
thereby turning it into a day of mourning?" Rabbi Gafni asked
Shalgi.
Meshulam Nehari (Shas) chimed in by quoting Chazal: "Lo
nitnu yomim tovim leYisrael ela kedei sheyeishvu vaya'asku
beTorah." He then asked why it should be fine to wile
away the day eating and drinking around the barbecue whereas
Torah study is objectionable.
Thus if anyone still harbors the notion the Knesset is a
place of serious matters and high-minded personages who come
to engage in devorim sheberumo shel olom, it seems to
me they can now dismiss such imagining.
