Naftali Bennett's Bayit Yehudi will take over abandoned Ministerial positions. (Photo: AFP)
Photo: AFP
Bayit Yehudi will take over education, welfare ministries
After Yesh Atid members quit their positions following chairman's dismissal by Netanyahu, empty seats handed out to Bayit Yehudi, Likud members.
On Wednesday afternoon the Bayit Yehudi political party took over control of the education imnistry and welfare ministry for the three remaining months before the snap elections on March 17.
The positions were left vacabt after Yesh Atid members quit their posts in the government following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's dismall of faction leader Yair Lapid from his job as finance minister (and aslo Hatnua's Tzipi Livni from her position as justice minister) about a month ago.
Economy Minister Naftali Bennett is expected to take on one of the roles and pass on the other to another minister within Bayit Yehudi – such as Housing Minister Uri Ariel or Personal Affairs Ministers Uri Orbach. The appointments will have to be approved by the government.
Naftali Bennett. (Photo: AFP)
On Tuesday, Deputy Minister Tzachi Hanegbi took over the abandoned Minister of Health position. The government also approved the appointment of MK Tzipi Hotovely for the position of Deputy Minister of the Science, Technology and Space Ministry in place of Yesh Atid's Yaakov Perry.
Hotovely took on the new position in addition to her current position as Deputy Minister of the Transport and Road Safety Ministry.
In addition, the Likud's Ofir Akunis was recently appointed Deputy Minister of the Environment Ministry. Furthermore, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed attorney Nimrod Sapir the position of head of the finance staff within the Finance Ministry.
On Tuesday, the chairman of the War on Poverty Committee and Israel Prize laureate Elie Alalouf called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to appoint a temporary welfare minister immediately until a new government is formed.
In the last month, the Ministry of Health has been operating without a minister after Yael German (Yesh Atid) quit the position in a response to Yair Lapid being fired from his position at Finance Minister by Prime Minister Netanyahu. In the meantime, all attempts to improve the health system have been stuck.
