Shas Chairman Interior Minister Aryeh Deri recommended a new candidate for the position of Minister of Religious Services which will be a  ministry that the Shas party has been given. It is expected to be a very important ministry in the coming term of office.

In an interesting twist, Deri did not recommend someone from the current Shad list of MKs but rather recommended Rabbi Yaakov Avitan, the head of the Shas party in the city of Ashkelon. The High Council of Rabbis ratified Deri’s request, thus removing the religious roadblock against Avitan taking the position.

Avitan currently serves as the Deputy Mayor of Ashkelon and heads the Shas faction in the municipal council.

In the next few years, it is expected that Chief Rabbonim in the cities of Yerushalayim, Haifa, and Tel Aviv. Should the government survive to a full term, there will also be selections for the positions of the Chief Rabbis.

In addition, it is also expected that the Minister who sits at the head of the Ministry will have influence over who is selected as religious Dayanim.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)