Union leaders of the Israel Medical Association (IMA) directly petitioned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday to appoint a full-fledged Minister of Health immediately. The IMA appeal comes a day before the organization's demand for an injunction in the matter is to be heard by the High Court of Justice.
In accord with a coalition agreement with the United Torah Judaism party, Netanyahu appointed Rabbi Yaakov Litzman as Deputy Health Minister. The Hareidi-religious party has traditionally avoided taking ministerial posts due to their objection to bear ministerial responsibility for actions of the primarily secular government. The petition delivered to Netanyahu says that the legal fiction of a deputy minister "with ministerial standing" is unprecedented worldwide and represents a disregard for the Israeli health system.
"Every day, in the context of our responsibilities, we are forced to deal with the consequences of the illnesses afflicting the health system and to provide health services to the citizens of the State of Israel, while operating in very tight economic constraints and with a serious shortage of medical personnel," the union heads wrote. The decision not to appoint a full-time minister, they said, will "undoubtedly lead to a severe decline in the current situation and a serious debilitation in the already highly limited available resources...."
The IMA has no qualms with the appointment of Rabbi Litzman to a government post, the letter emphasized: "There is no doubt that the appointment of MK Litzman is definitely a worthy one, for he is a man of many accomplishments and much experience who has contributed much to the State of Israel. At the same time, we protest the false representation as if it were enough to appoint MK Litzman to deputy minister in order to resolve what ails the health system."
The IMA union heads believe that a deputy minister will be unable to fight for the needs of the Health Ministry within the government, as the Prime Minister himself will remain the officially designated Minister of Health. In addition, a deputy minister does not have the same jurisdiction or authorization to make the necessary changes in the health system as would a full minister, the IMA said.
The High Court is slated to hear an IMA petition against Prime Minister Netanyahu, his ruling Likud party, Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz, Litzman's United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party and the government as a whole. The petition demands an explanation from the government for the failure to appoint a full-time Minister of Health, as well as demanding that the coalition agreement with UTJ be altered to allow such an appointment immediately.