MK Avi Maoz
MK Avi MaozIsrael National News

Three months after he resigned from the position, Noam party chairman Avi Maoz is returning to the government and will be appointed as a deputy minister.

The government on Sunday will vote on Maoz's reappointment as well as on the creation of the "Jewish National Identity Authority," one of the party's demands in the coalition talks.

The new authority's budget will be 120 million NIS this year and 165 million next year.

Prior to the vote on the state budget, Maoz threatened that he would not vote for it if the authority would not be established, and in the end, he did vote for it.

The proposal that will be approved presents the purpose of the budget approved for the Prime Minister's Office's Jewish National Identity Authority. This framework will strengthen national identity through "various projects, including research, support, scholarships, joint initiatives, activities for various groups, including youth, adults, individuals with special needs, and additional populations."

An additional clause budgets "the foundation of a transparency system for parents regarding the external programs being taught in schools, publicizing and making it available to the entire public, as long as it does not harm the authority of the Education Ministry. The Jewish National Identity Authority will develop the system and will be separate from the Education Ministry's systems. Any information requested from the Education Ministry will be transferred at its discretion."

The proposal also states that the authority will grant "aid and support to educational institutions in the realm of Jewish national identity, in coordination with the Education Minister and with his permission," as well as "publications for the general public on the deepening and strengthening of Jewish national identity."