The Government unanimously approved dismantling of the
Ministry of Religious Affairs at its weekly Cabinet meeting
last Sunday. The areas currently under its jurisdiction will
be transferred to other ministries, thereby safeguarding the
rights of its employees. Acting Religious Affairs Minister
Yossi Beilin said the Religious Affairs Ministry will be
closed by the end of the month.
Prime Minster Barak has formed a team of ministers to
implement the decision, headed by acting Religious Affairs
Minister Yossi Beilin. The team includes the following
ministers: Shochat, Melchior, Raanan Cohen, Ben Eliezer,
Ramon and the Education Minister.
At the meeting, Prime Minster Barak said that this is the
first step toward the realization of his social-civil reform.
Barak stressed that the dismantling of the Religious Affairs
Ministry is not a new idea, but had been raised by previous
governments. He noted that the chief rabbis had also proposed
that such measures be taken after the coalition was formed.
The Prime Minster stressed that this step was being taken for
reasons of efficiency and economy. "We have no intention of
provoking the religious sector or to clash with religion. Our
aim is to work toward achieving a tolerant, well-functioning
society guaranteeing suitable services for its citizens and
safeguarding their basic rights," he said.
Attorney General Eliyakim Rubinstein noted at the meeting
that the Religious Affairs Ministry has the highest level of
politicization of all ministries. He said that one of the
first suggestions he made to the Prime Minster after the
elections was to close the Ministry. "My reason was that in
the previous government, Ministry activities bordered on the
limits of legality," he added.
Acting Religious Affairs Minister Yossi Beilin, one of the
initiators of the idea to close the Ministry, said that this
measure won't harm the religious sector. He added that most
of those who suggested closure of the Ministry were religious
people from all parties who complained that the Ministry
suffers from politicization.
Beilin also said that the budget of the Religious Affairs
Ministry amounts to NIS 1.6 billion, one billion of which are
directed to yeshivos, 100 million to income support for
avreichim and 150-200 million for building synagogues
and mikvo'os. In Beilin's opinion, the budgets will
remain basically the same, while dismantling of the Ministry
will save many millions of shekels.
According to the proposal, which will be further examined by
the ministerial committee, subsidy of yeshivos will be
handled by the Education Ministry; support for
avreichim will fall under the jurisdiction of the
Interior Ministry or the Chief Rabbinate, while the affairs
of the Moslem and Christian sectors will fall under the
Interior Affairs Ministry or the Office of the Prime
Minister. Also allowances to yeshiva students will be managed
by the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry, and rabbinic courts
will come under the auspices of the Justice Ministry.
The ministerial committee will also discuss the status of the
Chief Rabbinate, which will either function as an independent
authority or under the jurisdiction of the Justice Ministry
or the Interior Ministry.
Dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry will not, at
this point, include the religious councils. Changing them
requires Knesset approval which the government cannot muster.
At the meeting, it was related that the main branch of the
Religious Affairs Ministry employs only fifty permanent
workers, whose employment benefits will be safeguarded.
Minister Daliah Itzik said that it is important that the
issue not be presented as an act of vengeance against anyone.
Prime Minister Barak reacted by saying, "It's not a matter of
vengeance. It is something beneficial for all citizens of the
state, including its religious ones, which doesn't undermine
Jewish tradition."
Minister of Social and Diaspora Affairs Michael Melchior
explained his reason for supporting the plan, saying, "The
religious councils have caused the politicization of
religious services in the state. Most of their activities
were meant to strengthen political campaigns instead of
providing true responses to the religious needs of the
nation." Melchior said that as a member of the ministerial
committee he will attempt to guarantee services to all
citizens of the state -- both religious and non-religious --
which will be significantly better than existing ones and not
dependent upon political or other arbitrary decisions.
MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz (UTJ) said that he does not object to
the move, in principle. Still, he believes that a double
standard is being practiced within the government, because
over the years, many ministries were established to give jobs
to politicians. His main concern over the proposal, he said,
is that anti-religious considerations will determine cutbacks
in the various ministries when the religious services are
part of general ministries.
Rabbi Ravitz said, "You can imagine if they have budget
problems, where they will cut first. You don't have to use
too much imagination."
Following the cabinet vote, Beilin said that disbanding the
ministry now requires only an official statement by the prime
minister to the Knesset.
