Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached an agreement with the hasidic-haredi Agudat Yisrael faction, under which MK Yisrael Eichler will be appointed as Deputy Communications Minister and will resign from his position as a member of the Knesset.
As a result of Eichler’s resignation, Lithuanian-haredi Degel Hatorah's Yitzhak Pindrus will return to the Knesset as an MK under the Norwegian Law.
Degel Hatorah and Agudat Yisrael traditionally run together in as the United Torah Judaism party, as a "zipper" list in which the two factions alternate positions. As a result, an Agudat Yisrael MK's resignation allows a Degel Hatorah member, next on the UTJ's list, to enter the Knesset; the reverse scenario would also hold true.
Pindrus’ return provides the coalition with an additional vote to support the Draft Law.
Communications Minister Dr. Shlomo Karhi (Likud) congratulated Eichler, saying, "I congratulate my dear colleague, MK Yisrael Eichler, on his appointment as Deputy Communications Minister. I thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and MK Eichler for their cooperation and trust and welcome this move.
"Together, we will work decisively to complete the central tasks of the government, in the Draft Law, communications reform, the budget, and other areas, for the benefit of the people of Israel."
Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman attacked the appointment, saying, "Government ministries are not gifts or bribes, there is actually a country to manage here. Eichler’s appointment as Deputy Communications Minister is not only disgraceful but also absurd. Eichler is a person who opposes the very existence of the State and, broadly speaking, also pretty much opposes the very existence of communications. As mentioned, an absurd and disgraceful appointment."