IMA chairman, Dr. Yoram Blachar
Photo: Yaron Brener
Doctors petition High Court against Netanyahu
Israeli Medical Association urges prime minister to appoint full-time health minister immediately
The Israeli Medical Association (IMA) on Sunday petitioned the High Court of Justice against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his failure to appoint a health minister and the decision to only appoint a deputy health minister "with the authorities of a minister."
The IMA referred to a 1991 High Court ruling, which dealt with the appointment of two Knesset members from the Agudat Israel party as deputy ministers in the Labor and Welfare Ministry. At the time, the prime minister pledged that those appointed as deputy ministers will have the full authorities of a minister.
In the petition, the government and its head were urged to appoint a full-time health minister immediately.
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However, the judges ruled at the time that "A deputy minister does not act as a minister" and that the government's statement that the deputy minister would act as a minister for all intents and purposes is "empty words without any legal and practical validity."
Senior health establishment officials convened Friday to discuss the issue. The meeting was attended by hospital directors, the chairperson of the Nurses Union in the Histadrut labor federation, and chairpersons of professional hospital unions.
The IMA and other organizations decided to set up a protest tent after the Passover holiday, should the prime minister fail to appoint a full-time health minister by then.
IMA chairman, Dr. Yoram Blachar, said during the meeting, "Appointing a deputy minister without a minister above him is like throwing the people of Israel and its health to the dogs."
Meanwhile, it is also possible that one of the Likud's ministers-without-portfolio will be eventually appointed health minister.
The office of one of the candidates, Minister Yossi Peled, said in a statement that "Peled joined the political system in order to fill an executive role in the Israeli government and contribute to the improvement of the citizens' lives. Therefore, it is clear the Minister Peled will accept any executive role given to him by the prime minister, including the position of health minister."
Meital Yasur-Beit Or contributed to this report
