Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin has given the fervently Orthodox Shas Party an ultimatum: Rejoin the governing coalition this week or lose the ministerial portfolios being held for the party.
Rabin issued the ultimatum last week amid demands from Labor Party ministers and Knesset members that Shas finally decide whether it will rejoin the governing coalition.
Shas left the coalition more than a year ago when its political leader, former Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, was indicted on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of public trust. Deri is currently standing trial on the charges.
Since then, Shah has neither joined the opposition nor returned to the government fold.
Shah has usually supported the government in crucial votes, particularly those relating to the peace process or when no-confidence motions have been brought before the Knesset.
But last week Shas joined in an unsuccessful no-confidence vote introduced by the opposition after the Cabinet decided to freeze settlement construction in areas around Jerusalem.
Although the Labor-led coalition survived the no-confidence vote, Shas’ actions raised hackles among Labor Party members.
Angry Labor members called on Rabin to forget about Shas rejoining the coalition. They said the prime minister should hand over to Labor the Interior Ministry and Religious Affairs Ministry, portfolios that had been set aside for Shas.
According to some speculation, Police Minister Moshe Shahal would get the Interior Ministry portfolio and Tourism Minister Uzi Baram would add the Religious Affairs portfolio to his responsibilities.
“Shas should know it has to pay a price for sitting on the fence,” Trade Minister Michael Harish said. “The government can find other parties interested in joining the coalition.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
