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NEWS
Minister Orlev Says Political Considerations Led to
Dismantling of Religious Affairs Ministry
by G. Lazer
Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev (NRP), who heads the
Interministerial Committee for Religious Services, claims the
way decisions were made on the matter of dismantling the
Religious Affairs Ministry is "material for an investigative
committee."
In a Knesset Interior Ministry meeting Orlev said, "The
decision to dismantle the Ministry of Religious Affairs was
political, with the goal the destruction of religious
services."
Orlev also said there is a serious lack of information on the
extent of the deficit at the religious councils as well as
the number of employees who have not received their salaries
and the amounts they are due.
MK Rabbi Yisroel Eichler (UTJ) said a special authority
should be set up to provide Israeli citizens with religious
services. "The destruction of religious services is not a
result of bureaucratic mistakes but malicious intent to
destroy religious services in the country," he said.
"Therefore, an authority to provide religious services must
be set up immediately to replace the dismantled Religious
Affairs Ministry. Representatives of the Rabbinate, the
religious council workers and the public should take part in
this authority in order not to leave the issue of religious
services in the hands of hostile Finance Ministry officials
and jurists alone."
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