Shas minister accuses Likud’s Amsalem of abusing power, blocking pick for head of body overseeing development of holy sites
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. 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"
Religious Services Minister Michael Malkieli writes to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara complaining that Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem, who controls the Government Companies Authority, has been misusing his authority to block the appointment of a new director-general of the National Center for the Development of Holy Sites.
“I’m at the end of my rope because of the minister’s handling of the issue, which stems from improper political motives and abuse of authority,” Malkieli writes, according to a copy of the letter published by national broadcaster Kan.
Malkieli accuses Amsalem of blocking appointments requested by his ultra-Orthodox Shas party “due to a dispute related to the Council for Appointing [Rabbinical] Judges ” and says that the Likud minister’s refusal could have dangerous consequences because it perpetuates dysfunction within the government agency — which is tasked with overseeing some 130 holy sites across Israel.
These include the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on Mount Meron in northern Israel, where 45 Israelis were trampled to death in 2021. The state commission of inquiry into the tragedy “paid special attention in its conclusions regarding the functioning and conduct of the National Center” but it has been without a head since March and its board is missing several members, Malkieli writes.
In response, Amsalem says that he “vehemently rejects the false and contemptible accusations made by Minister Malkieli in his letter,” which are intended “to divert the public debate from the real failures of the Ministry of Religious Services.”
“There is no connection between the appointment in question and endangering human life,” he continues, arguing that he “works exclusively to advance the public interest and to appoint worthy candidates to senior positions.”
“Minister Amsalem will not allow [Shas leader] Aryeh Deri to take over the Council for Appointing [Rabbinical] Judges as if it were a private business of Shas,” he adds.
Last December, then-Government Companies Authority director Michal Rosenbaum resigned ahead of Amsalem’s takeover of her department, arguing that Amsalem believes “the government companies are not a public resource but a ‘pool of jobs’ that he should use to accumulate power and political status.”
Rosenbaum alleged that “Amsalem put enormous pressure on me and the Authority to support the appointment of political activists and [his] associates to key positions in government companies.”
The Government Companies Authority has traditionally been part of the Finance Ministry, but when joining the cabinet, Amsalem insisted that it operate under his control as part of his agreement with Netanyahu.
Though it has little to do with his other responsibilities, oversight of the authority offers Amsalem direct influence on appointments to hundreds of top governmental jobs.
