The government cabinet approves transferring certain authorities to MK Avi Maoz — who has pushed misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ policies — for his newly created “Jewish identity” office within the Prime Minister’s Office.
In a statement, the government says only that it “decided to transfer various responsibilities from the Education Ministry and the Social Equality Ministry to the Prime Minister’s Office as per the coalition agreements.”
Maoz is set to control external programming in schools as well as pursue a range of policies he has long pushed for, including amending the Law of Return.
In a statement, Likud Education Minister Yoav Kisch says he is working in coordination with Maoz, “and if there are crazy things in the ministry, we’ll remove them,” pointing to the example of a memorial for Palestinian victims.
Kisch says reports that Maoz has been handed an independent budget are untrue: “The plans stay in the Education Ministry, the money stays in the Education Ministry — the Education Ministry alone is responsible.”
Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Today’s Daily Briefing
BONUS: ‘Courts don’t turn a democracy into an autocracy’
&
By The Rivers of Babylon
Stories that stretch from Israel to Iraq
Coronavirus latest
As Avi Maoz handed official powers, Likud education minister says … – The Times of Israel
