Interior Minister (Shas) Aryeh Deri on Sunday voted for many of the broad budget cuts of ministries at the weekly cabinet meeting. He voted against allocating funding to the state broadcasting entity for coverage of next year’s Eurovision competition, scheduled to take place in Israel, since broadcasts will involve Chilul Shabbos.

Deri stated that colleagues Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel and Minister of Sports & Culture Miri Regev share his view, opposing additional funding for the state broadcasting. Deri explained his opposition is due to the widespread Chilul Shabbos that would accompany such broadcasts, while the others feel the broadcasting company has to fund its broadcasts itself, with its sizable budget, without additional funding required.

Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman was quite vocal during the meeting, as he strongly objected to some of the cuts, including sizable cuts to the Health Ministry. Litzman insisted that the planned additional cuts will destroy the nation’s healthcare system, stating the scheduled cuts would be the largest in recent years. He insisted the cuts would sabotage many of the ministry’s plans, including curtailing waiting times in the nation’s emergency rooms, reducing infection in hospitals, and conditions and patient care in preemie units and much more.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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