Education Minister Yoav Kisch
Education Minister Yoav KischHezki Barucj

Education Minister Yoav Kisch on Thursday commented on the report that there were attempts to expand the government and said that there is no intention to add Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid to the government.

"There is no intention of having Lapid joining, he is detached from reality and not a party to the discourse. Regarding [Avigdor] Liberman there is an intention but only in addition and not at the expense of anyone. He is a partner to the goals of the war," Kisch said in an interview with Radio Kol Chai.

"First of all, we have to meet the goals we have set. The destruction of Hamas and security control of the territory are necessary," he added.

Commenting on the incident in which the principal of the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium High School in Tel Aviv prevented students from putting on tefillin outside the school, Kisch said that "there is an attempt to harm our Jewish identity, which the majority of the people understand is important. This is why our enemies are persecuting us. I hope that the Tel Aviv municipality will not accept such people for management positions."

As for the saga of allowing Palestinian Arab workers into Israel, Kisch made it clear, "I am against allowing in workers from Judea and Samaria at this time. I understand the potential danger. It can be examined when things are calmer."

Kisch commented on the state budget and said "it's not a budget of good news. We had to cut a lot because of the war. I definitely feel that the damage to the education system is minimal."