Israel's parliament (the Knesset) early Tuesday morning gave final approval to an amendment to Basic Law: The Government that clears the path for Shas leader Aryeh Deri and Religious Zionism head Bezalel Smotrich to assume ministerial positions in the new government set to be sworn in this Thursday.
Two bills were combined into one amendment which passed the second and third readings in the plenum. Amendment 11 required a special majority of 61 members and secured 63 votes in favor against 55 who opposed in the final reading.
The new law allows for Smotrich to serve as a minister within the Defense Ministry, which would give the far-right politician more control over policies in the West Bank, a territory that the Israeli government refers to by its biblical name of Judea and Samaria.
It also makes it possible for Deri to be appointed as a minister in the government despite his conviction on tax offenses. The so-called "Deri law" loosens the eligibility to become a minister to someone who did not actually serve any prison time for a conviction, which is the case with Deri.
Smotrich and Deri are expected to rotate the finance ministerial role in the coalition of incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Before taking on the finance minister role, Deri is expected to hold the interior and health portfolios.
Current Defense Minister Benny Gantz was critical of allowing Smotrich to oversee settlement and security policies in the West Bank, warning that the "dismantling of the chain of command" would "harm the functioning our security system."
Reprinted with permission from i24NEWS