The leaders of the coalition parties came to the weekly Shas faction meeting Monday to show their support for Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, who was fired as Interior and Health Minister by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling disqualifying him from serving as a minister.
Among the participants were Prime Minister Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and several other ministers and MKs.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin said that the Supreme Court's ruling against Deri is very troubling. "It's not just a matter of Shas voters or the movement or anyone who voted for the right-wing bloc and knew that Aryeh Deri would be number 2 in the government. This is a matter for the entire public. When we sat and warned in the previous Knesset that whoever harms the opposition in representation in Knesset committees will very quickly find himself in a situation where he will be harmed. We are determined and will not give up until democracy is restored."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich noted that "this meeting is the message. The coalition is stable and homogeneous and will last, with G-d's help, until the end of its term. We all feel that the judicial system's struggle against Deri is the struggle of all of us. Aryeh, we are all here with you, this is the struggle of all of us. The Justice Minister is leading this fight together with Simcha Rothman."
Education Minister Yoav Kisch added, "We see the Supreme Court decision as a personal decision against Deri. If Deri had chosen to go with the change government, he would have immediately been appointed a senior minister. We all want to strengthen you. Bibi needs a strong lion (Aryeh) by his side - as they say."
Degel Hatorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni, stated that "the struggle is not Rabbi Deri's but goes to the root of the matter of how the State of Israel will remain Jewish and democratic. For a year and a half we fought against the government and Rabbi Deri was the central axis that managed the struggle together with everyone. Aryeh Deri, we have come to say that we are with you."