Posted on 12/08/22
| News Source: i24
During the first half of the government's term, Aryeh Deri will serve as Health Minister and Interior Minister
Israeli prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party reached an agreement with the ultra-Orthodox Shas party regarding the latter's roles in the next government, according to an early Thursday morning announcement.
According to the agreement reached, during the first half of the government's term, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri will serve as Health Minister and Interior Minister. Then, in the second half of the government's tenure, he will serve as Finance Minister, replacing far-right Religious Zionism head Bezalel Smotrich.
Additionally, the ultra-Orthodox party will receive the Religious Services, Welfare and Social Security Ministries. Shas members will also serve as the Education Ministry and Interior Ministry ministers.
Deri, who will also serve as Deputy Prime Minister throughout the term of the government, said that the Shas negotiating team continued discussions "on the ideological and value issues relating to education, Jewish identity, strengthening tradition and observing Shabbat in the public sphere."