MK Matan Kahana told Kan 11 News in an interview on Sunday that his decision to resign from his position as Minister of Religious Services was not made due to fears of a defection from the coalition by MK Yomtob Kalfon.
"We did not dismiss Yomtob Kalfon. He is an excellent Knesset member for Yamina, he did great things, but I felt that right now someone like me needs to be in the Knesset, in the main arena where things are conducted. A senior Knesset member is needed," Kahana claimed.
He added, "I believe I will return to the role of Minister of Religious Affairs."
In a separate interview with Channel 13 News, Kahana hinted that he would be willing to leave the Ministry of Religious Services if the haredi parties agreed to join the coalition. "If we can expand the government - I will be willing to pay significant prices for that to happen."
"When I return to being a minister, things will continue as normal. The conversion reform, the integration of women in religious services, but what matters is that I will be in our significant arena - in the Knesset. It is there that we are fighting in the trenches against the opposition that is trying to drag us by force to elections. This thing needs to be stabilized," he added.
"All of us together, the Yamina faction, want this government to exist. I talk to all of Yamina’s Knesset members, we are continuing in this government as one man. The government just has to stick to the basic lines with which we started so that it really fulfills its term. That is where we are striving to get," said Kahana.