Education Minister Rabbi Shai Piron (Yesh Atid) plans to vote against the bill presented by MK Zevulun Kalfa (Bayit Yehudi) which seeks to advance the candidacies of Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita and Rabbi Yaakov Ariel Shlita. According to a report from the dati leumi Kippa website, the minister is under mounting pressure from rabbonim in the dati leumi community to support the bill, which in essence represents the deal signed between the Shas and Bayit Yehudi parties.

Piron however will be voting in line with his party, against the bill. Yesh Atid has already announced it will support Rabbi David Stav’s candidacy, but the latter announced if Rabbi Ariel runs in the race, he would drop out. http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=165111

However there are two prominent dati leumi rabbonim who are also opposed to the deal between Shas and Bayit Yehudi, Rabbi Aaron Lichtenstein Shlita and Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz Shlita, both backing Piron’s position opposing MK Kalfa’s bill.

At present, it appears Kalfa’s bill will not pass the Ministerial Legislation Committee so the Shas/Bayit Yehudi deal will not be able to advance to Knesset for a vote.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)