Eli Yishai, the party's leader since 1995, will be the Minister of Trade, Industry and Employment. He will also serve as Deputy Prime Minister, a member of the security cabinet, and chairman of a sub-committee in the mini-cabinet for socio-economic affairs. In the words of the Shas website, "In this capacity, he will be able to decide precisely which projects will receive the money Shas obtained in the framework of the coalition negotiations."
Yishai succeeded Aryeh Deri, who served as Shas' leader from the party's founding in the mid-1980's.
Ariel Attias, a freshman MK and considered close to Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, will be the Minister of Communications.
The third ministerial position will be filled by former Minister of Religious Affairs Yitzchak Cohen. Now that the Ministry of Religious Affairs has been disbanded, leading to widespread poor or no service in this area, he will carry out the same duties, but only as a minister in the Prime Minister's Office. Shas claims, however, that Cohen will not require Olmert's signature of approval for his decisions.
MK Meshulam Nahari, a former Deputy Education Minister, will be a Minister in the Finance Ministry - unless he receives government consent to serve as such in the Education Ministry.
Rabbi Yosef met secretly yesterday afternoon with Labor Party Chairman and Defense Minister-designate Amir Peretz, in the rabbi's home in Har Nof, Jerusalem. Rabbi Yosef wished to try to convince Peretz, head of the coalition's second-largest party, to agree to allow Nahari to serve as an additional Minister in the Education Ministry.
Rabbi Yosef told Peretz, during their 40-minute meeting, that Nahari would not detract from the authorities of Education Minister-designate Yuli Tamir of Labor. Peretz said he would consider the matter and give Rabbi Yosef a final decision later. News of the meeting was released only last night.
Shas lists the following as its achievements in the coalition negotiations:
Yishai succeeded Aryeh Deri, who served as Shas' leader from the party's founding in the mid-1980's.
Ariel Attias, a freshman MK and considered close to Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, will be the Minister of Communications.
The third ministerial position will be filled by former Minister of Religious Affairs Yitzchak Cohen. Now that the Ministry of Religious Affairs has been disbanded, leading to widespread poor or no service in this area, he will carry out the same duties, but only as a minister in the Prime Minister's Office. Shas claims, however, that Cohen will not require Olmert's signature of approval for his decisions.
MK Meshulam Nahari, a former Deputy Education Minister, will be a Minister in the Finance Ministry - unless he receives government consent to serve as such in the Education Ministry.
Rabbi Yosef met secretly yesterday afternoon with Labor Party Chairman and Defense Minister-designate Amir Peretz, in the rabbi's home in Har Nof, Jerusalem. Rabbi Yosef wished to try to convince Peretz, head of the coalition's second-largest party, to agree to allow Nahari to serve as an additional Minister in the Education Ministry.
Rabbi Yosef told Peretz, during their 40-minute meeting, that Nahari would not detract from the authorities of Education Minister-designate Yuli Tamir of Labor. Peretz said he would consider the matter and give Rabbi Yosef a final decision later. News of the meeting was released only last night.
Shas lists the following as its achievements in the coalition negotiations:
- Shas opposes unilateral diplomatic moves, and obtained Kadima's agreement that it need not vote for a unilateral withdrawal in the Cabinet or Knesset. An accompanying letter to the agreement states that the parties "will vote in the Knesset for the diplomatic plan that was expressed in [Olmert's] speech in N'vei Ilan on 29 Adar 5766, March 28 2006 [immediately after the election results became known]" - a speech in which there was no mention of his plan to unilaterally withdraw from vast areas of Judea and Samaria or to uproot Jewish communities there.
- The government will provide for 100 new classrooms in the hareidi-religious sector.
- 1.8 billion shekels towards child allowances comprised of the following: the cancellation of a planned 450-million shekel cut; 650 million shekels in one-time increases; and 700 million shekels whose distribution to families will be determined in the subcommittee headed by MK Yishai.
- Of the 200 million shekels earmarked for poor and at-risk children in the year 2006, 100 million will be directed towards Shas priorities, such as hareidi youth at risk, Rabbinical courts, fertility programs according to Jewish Law, Torah education programs, and more.
- 85 million shekels from the Housing Ministry for the construction of synagogues and the like.
- No legislation without Shas' consent on the matter of civil marriages for those forbidden by Jewish Law to marry.