Israel will have a record three cabinet ministers from the LGBT community by late Monday when Blue and White faction chairman Eitan Ginzburg is sworn in as communications minister in the Knesset plenum.
Former Ra’anana mayor Ginzburg, who was Israel’s first openly gay mayor, will serve alongside gay ministers Itzik Shmuli, who left Labor, and Amir Ohana (Likud).
Monday morning’s cabinet meeting approved the Science and Technology portfolio for Chili Tropper (Blue and White), the Higher Education Ministry for Yoav Galant (Likud), the Water Ministry for Yuval Steinitz (Likud) and the Social Equality portfolio for Michael Biton (Blue and White).
The Communications portfolio was held by Blue and White head Benny Gantz after he fired Yoaz Hendel on December 16 when Hendel left Blue and White for New Hope. But Gantz held the ministry in a temporary capacity and the appointment expired.
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit warned Gantz that he was holding too many portfolios as apart from being alternate prime minister and defense minister, he is minister of justice, and was acting science and technology, social equality and communications minister. The Supreme Court set a deadline of 4 p.m. on Monday for the cabinet to fill the vacancies.
The Movement for Quality Government, which petitioned the High Court on the matter, said the appointments should have been made much sooner and not moments before the court-imposed deadline. The movement said other key appointments were necessary, including that of a state prosecutor.
“In this government of national paralysis, only the court’s intervention enables the country to be run,” the group said.
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