Religious Services Minister of Israel
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The Religious Services Minister of Israel (Hebrew: שר לשירותי דת, Sar LeShirutei Dat) is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Services and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. The current minister is Ya'akov Margi of Shas.
The post was included in the provisional government, and was initially known as the Minister of Religions and War Victims. Upon the formation of the second government on 8 October 1951 it became the Minister of Religions. A second re-name occurred on 5 August 1981 when it became the Minister of Religious Affairs. The post was scrapped on 1 January 2004, but resurrected on 14 January 2008.
The office holders have been largely religious, though some secularists have held the post; Haim Yosef Zadok being the first to do so when appointed in 1974.[1] Zerach Warhaftig is the longest serving minister to date, holding the post for over 12 years between 1961 and 1974. In Binyamin Netanyahu's government the portfolio changed hands six times, with four different people holding the post (Netanyahu three times and Eli Suissa twice).
There has been a Deputy Minister on several occasions.
List of Religious Services ministers
¹ Died in office.
Deputy Ministers
Minister | Party | Government(s) | Dates in Office |
---|---|---|---|
Zerach Warhaftig | Hapoel HaMizrachi National Religious Party |
4, 7, 8 |
5/1/1953 - 26/1/1954 9/1/1956 - 1/7/1958 |
Binyamin Shahor | National Religious Party | 13, 14 | 1/2/1966 - 17/11/1969 |
Haim Drukman | National Religious Party | 19 | 11/8/1981 - 2/3/1982 |
Moshe Gafni | Degel HaTorah | 24 | 23/7/1990 - 13/7/1992 |
Rafael Pinhasi | Shas | 25 | 31/12/1992 - 14/9/1993 |
Aryeh Gamliel | Shas | 27 | 13/8/1996 - 22/8/1997 24/8/1997 - 20/1/1998 25/2/1998 - 6/7/1999 |
Yigal Bibi | National Religious Party | 27 27 28 |
13/8/1996 - 20/1/1998 25/2/1998 - 6/7/1999 5/8/1999 - 12/7/2000 |
References
- ^ Haim J. Zadok Israel Democracy Institute
External links
- All Ministers in the Ministry of Religions Knesset website