The two parties agreed to hold joint faction meetings after a four-hour meeting in Ramat Gan which concluded with the Pensioners party agreement to join the coalition government with Kadima.
Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert was not present at the meeting but phoned Eitan to praise the decision. “I hope this participation will last long years,” he said, “to the benefit of the State of Israel and its citizens.”
Party Chairman Rafi Eitan said Wednesday afternoon that his party received the Health Ministry to be headed by the party’s number 2 Knesset member Yaakov Ben Yizri. Eitan will run Social Affairs, a new ministry for senior citizens’ affairs.
In addition, the party will receive NIS 650 million for its various causes, with another NIS 100 million to be added later to the budget in 2007.
Eitan was ebullient at the signing. “We embarked on our path only ten weeks ago,” he said, “in the course of which we succeeded in advancing and getting to this exciting achievement.”
He added, “It is very emotional for me to be sitting here,” and voiced hopes that the agreement would help pensioners, not only in this generation but for “many generations to come”.
The second largest party in the government, Labor gave its blessing to the union despite its own struggles with unresolved issues in negotiations with Kadima.
Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert was not present at the meeting but phoned Eitan to praise the decision. “I hope this participation will last long years,” he said, “to the benefit of the State of Israel and its citizens.”
Party Chairman Rafi Eitan said Wednesday afternoon that his party received the Health Ministry to be headed by the party’s number 2 Knesset member Yaakov Ben Yizri. Eitan will run Social Affairs, a new ministry for senior citizens’ affairs.
In addition, the party will receive NIS 650 million for its various causes, with another NIS 100 million to be added later to the budget in 2007.
Eitan was ebullient at the signing. “We embarked on our path only ten weeks ago,” he said, “in the course of which we succeeded in advancing and getting to this exciting achievement.”
He added, “It is very emotional for me to be sitting here,” and voiced hopes that the agreement would help pensioners, not only in this generation but for “many generations to come”.
The second largest party in the government, Labor gave its blessing to the union despite its own struggles with unresolved issues in negotiations with Kadima.