MK Yaakov Litzman (UTJ) Returns to Health Ministry

By Staff Reporter
Posted on 01/10/18 | News Source: Arutz-7

UTJ MK returns following passage of law allowing deputy minister to run ministry - and despite devious trick by the opposition.

MK Yaakov Litzman (UTJ) returned to his post in the health ministry, where he will function as Health Minister - though under the official title of “Deputy Health Minister with the status of Minister.”

The move comes after the Knesset passed a law today which allows the Prime Minister to grant ministerial authority to a deputy minister.

Though Litzman had been deputy minister when the government was sworn in in 2015, the Yesh Atid party petitioned the Supreme Court against the practice of a deputy minister holding the authority of a minister, and the court ruled in favor of the petition.

Subsequently, Litzman became a minister, but eventually resigned last month over railway work taking place on Shabbat.

The new law effectively allows Litzman to reclaim his status before the Yesh Atid petition.

During the vote in the Knesset, the opposition attempted a trick whereby it removed all 14 points of opposition to the bill - at the exact time that ministers and MKs from the coalition were absent due to attendance at the funeral of Rabbi Raziel Shevach, murdered last night in a shooting attack in Samaria. The aim was to bring the bill to a vote quickly - and have it fail to pass due to the coalition absences.

Nevertheless, the bill ultimately passed.