“Israeli” Health, Interior Minister Faces Annulment because of Tax Offenses

By Staff, Agencies

As “Israeli” government sinks into the whirl of corruption scandals, the so-called “High Court of Justice” convened Thursday morning for a hearing on petitions demanding the annulment of the appointment of “Shas” leader Aryeh Deri as a government minister due to his recent conviction on tax offenses.

The new government, in one of its first legislative actions, approved a bill amending one of “Israel’s” laws to allow Deri to be appointed as a minister — by stipulating that only a custodial sentence precludes such an appointment, rather than a suspended one such as the one he was given.

"Shas" had demanded that bill’s approval as part of its conditions for joining the coalition.

The petitions against Deri’s appointment, submitted by the "Movement for Quality Government", "the Movement for Ethical Behavior" and a group of private individuals, argue that his 2022 conviction on tax fraud charges, added to his conviction in 1999 on bribery charges, makes his appointment “unreasonable.”

In addition, the petitions argue that the bill allowing his appointment was illegitimate, as the legislation was passed due to political considerations of an individual politician and the new government.

The move also drew fire from Attorney General Bali Baharav-Miara, who informed the High Court on Wednesday that she strongly opposes Deri’s appointment as a minister, saying his past criminal conviction should bar him from office.

Deri has now been appointed interior and health minister.

Several dozen demonstrators blocked a main road outside the court, protesting Deri’s appointment and chanting “A government of crime.”