From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Cabinet said set to vote on replacements for Shas ministers who resigned over Haredi enlistment law
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The cabinet will hold a telephone vote on replacing Shas ministers who resigned when the ultra-Orthodox Shas party quit the government earlier this month over its failure to codify the Haredi community’s exemption from military service, the Walla news site reports.
According to the news site, Justice Minister Yariv Levin will receive the interior, labor, and religious services portfolios while Tourism Minister Haim Katz, who already also serves as interim housing minister, will take over the health and welfare ministries.
Both cabinet ministers will be considered temporary placeholders until Shas returns to the government, Walla reports.
The report does not reference the Jerusalem affairs portfolio until recently held by the United Torah Judaism party.
Speaking with The Times of Israel last week, a spokesman for Shas said the party would rejoin the government only if a viable Haredi enlistment bill is advanced.
“There must be a law on the table that is agreed upon by us and has a majority,” said Asher Medina, when asked about his party’s preconditions for returning.
The Times of Israel Community.