The Knesset Interior Committee held a session this morning to discuss the dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry - and came to a surprising decision: Though the coalition agreement calls for it, and though Prime Minister Sharon is personally in favor of it, the dismantling will be put on hold.
Representatives of the Interior, Justice, Finance, and Religious Affairs Ministries, as well as from the Prime Minister's Office, participated in the session. Religious MKs Moshe Gafni, Nissan Slomiansky, and David Azulai raised the fact that thousands of employees of the Religious Affairs Ministry had not received salaries for a year and a half - including 20 municipal Chief Rabbis. Committee Chairman Yuri Stern (National Union) "could not believe his ears," Arutz-7's Haggai Seri reported, and said,
"This is criminal negligence, at best, for the state to cut the budgets of the local religious councils [which pay the salaries] and thus not to pay salaries for a year and a half - while in other areas, it's business as usual! Our committee's power is in the legislative area [of this issue], and so we will stop all legislation [on dismantling the Ministry] until the salaries are paid."
In addition, a subcommittee headed by MK Slomiansky [NRP] was formed to oversee all aspects of the dismantling. These will include employees' rights, pensions, and more. The Holy Sites department of the ministry is scheduled to be transferred to the Tourism Ministry, non-Jewish religious affairs will be dealt with by the Interior Ministry, and the Rabbinical Courts department is designated for the Justice Department. The timetable for these is to be set by Prime Minister Sharon, but it is contingent upon the Interior Committee's "release" of the legislative process.
Representatives of the Interior, Justice, Finance, and Religious Affairs Ministries, as well as from the Prime Minister's Office, participated in the session. Religious MKs Moshe Gafni, Nissan Slomiansky, and David Azulai raised the fact that thousands of employees of the Religious Affairs Ministry had not received salaries for a year and a half - including 20 municipal Chief Rabbis. Committee Chairman Yuri Stern (National Union) "could not believe his ears," Arutz-7's Haggai Seri reported, and said,
"This is criminal negligence, at best, for the state to cut the budgets of the local religious councils [which pay the salaries] and thus not to pay salaries for a year and a half - while in other areas, it's business as usual! Our committee's power is in the legislative area [of this issue], and so we will stop all legislation [on dismantling the Ministry] until the salaries are paid."
In addition, a subcommittee headed by MK Slomiansky [NRP] was formed to oversee all aspects of the dismantling. These will include employees' rights, pensions, and more. The Holy Sites department of the ministry is scheduled to be transferred to the Tourism Ministry, non-Jewish religious affairs will be dealt with by the Interior Ministry, and the Rabbinical Courts department is designated for the Justice Department. The timetable for these is to be set by Prime Minister Sharon, but it is contingent upon the Interior Committee's "release" of the legislative process.