Rabin Fills 2 Cabinet Posts He Set Aside for Shas Party

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin has assigned two of his Labor ministers to take over the Interior and Religious Affairs ministries that he had been saving for the Shas Party.

At a special meeting Tuesday, Rabin presented the Cabinet with his decision to give Tourism Minister Uzi Baram the Interior Ministry portfolio, and Economics Minister Shimon Shetreet the Religious Affairs portfolio. Both men will retain their original portfolios as well.

Rabin had been handling the two portfolio himself until this week in the hope that he could give them to members of the fervently religious Shas Party in return for their rejoining the governing coalition.

Shas left the coalition in 1993 after former Interior Minister Aryeh Deri was indicted on charges of fraud and mismanagement of funds. Shas officials recently announced their refusal to rejoin the coalition.

Rabin indicated that the two appointments were temporary until the summer.

Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres also reportedly agreed this week that Deputy Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin will be appointed to a ministerial portfolio in June. Maj. Gen. Ehud Barak, former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Force, is also expected to join the Cabinet at that time.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Meretz bloc — which serves as Rabin’s junior coalition partner and whose votes are crucial for obtaining a Knesset majority — were sharply critical that they were passed over for the new ministerial assignments.

“It’s a slap in the face”, Education Minister Amnon Rubinstein told reporters. “It’s a total lack of consideration for our weight, for the efforts we have made”.

However it was clear by midweek that Meretz would not leave the coalition over the issue.

Environment Minister Yossi Sarid of Meretz, who himself had been jockeying for a portfolio, toned down comments that he might consider resigning.

Rabin will ask the Knesset to ratify his Cabinet appointments of Monday.