As part of Ehud Olmert’s long-awaited “Cabinet Reshuffle,” an Israeli-Arab, Labor's Raleb Majadle, has been appointed as Israel’s Minister of Science, Culture and Sport. Majadele is the first Arab ever to be named to the government’s cabinet.
Majadle was appointed Minister Without Portfolio several weeks ago when his fellow Labor Party member Ophir Pines-Paz resigned as Minister of Science, Culture and Sport portfolio. Pines-Paz quit the post when Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party joined the coalition government.
Lieberman was named one of five Deputy Prime Ministers, and was named Minister of Strategic Affairs, a portfolio created upon his appointment to focus on the Iranian threat. Upon the appointment, Pines-Paz claimed that Lieberman was too right-wing and anti-Arab to share a government with Labor.
Labor Party chairman and Defense Minister Amir Peretz decided to promote Majadle to the cabinet to replace Pines-Paz. Olmert’s government took several weeks to approve the appointment, and then named him only Minister Without Portfolio.
Labor members, including Majadele himself, demanded that the newly-appointed minister receive a portfolio. Now, during Olmert’s inner-cabinet shift, Majadle has been given the portfolio previously held by Pines-Paz, whose resignation paved the way for the Arab minister to enter the government.
Now, the first Israeli-Arab to ever sit in the executive branch of the government will be charged with the task of improving Israel’s culture.
As part of the “Cabinet Reshuffle,” Labor Party Minister Yitzchak Herzog has resigned the post of Tourism Minister, and accepted the Welfare portfolio, which has not had a full-time minister for over two years. Herzog’s official position will be Minister of Social Affairs and Services, Diaspora Affairs, Society and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism.
Yisrael Beiteinu will receive the vacated Tourism Portfolio. MKs Esterina Tartman and Yisrael Hason are both vying for the appointment. Yisrael Beiteinu is also likely to receive the chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee, currently held by United Torah Judaism MK Yaakov Litzman.
UTJ will likely be forced to cede the post after coalition negotiations between Olmert and the religious party broke down this week.