Reportedly in response to canceled elections for local chief rabbis in a number of municipalities in Israel Minister of Religious Services Yaakov Margi appointed confidant Nissim Alkasasi to replace Rav Avner Amar, who has been the minister’s advisor in charge of overseeing the local rabbinical elections.

In a memo to ministry officials, the minister explained Alkasasi is now in charge of overseeing the municipal elections and taking appropriate actions to move the process along. Rav Amar however will continue overseeing the elections for chief rabbis of Jerusalem. He added that until after the Jerusalem election, R’ Amar will focus only on the municipal rabbinical elections and nothing else.

Officials close to Margi explain R’ Amar was not dismissed and the move is viewed as an internal shifting of advisors, nothing more.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)