In the wake of public criticism of government ministries whose activity is not needed in time of war, Deputy Minister MK Avi Maoz appealed yesterday (Tuesday) in a letter to Yossi Sheli, the Prime Minister’s Office Director-General, with a proposal to divert the Jewish National Identity Authority’s budget and its personnel positions to aid the evacuees and the war effort.
The letter states that “we cannot stand aside as the People of Israel enlists in a war against a cruel enemy which has arisen against us to destroy us. Therefore in coordination with the Authority Head Nir Orbach, I am placing the authority workers absorbed thus far, the budget of the Authority and the offices of the authority at the disposal of the needs of the war as much as will be required.”
The Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office agreed to the Deputy Minister’s request and in a meeting between himself and the head of the Jewish National Identity Authority, it was decided to divert the authority’s budget to aid the evacuees from the Gaza Perimeter and the cities and settlements of the south as well as evacuees from Kiryat Shemonah and other settlements in the north.
This is the second effort by ministers working to reduce their ministry’s activity in time of war, preceded by the resignation of Hasbarah Minister MK Galit Distel-Atbaryan. In a statement she published, she said that “operating a government ministry is an expensive matter and the People of Israel needs every shekel. And when I see that the Hasbrarah Ministry has been emptied of the authorities given it from the outset – I cannot but honestly admit that every day it is operated from here on out is a waste of public money. In the current constellation, this ministry cannot make a significant contribution to the state and the good of the state matters to me more than anything. Because of all this, I decided to resign from my role as Hasbarah Minister.”