Prominent Religious Zionist Rabbi Yaakov Ariel suggested this week that according to Jewish law, it is prohibited to form a coalition that depends on a minority in Israel.
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In an essay written for a book that deals with matters of religion and state from the perspective of Jewish law, Ariel said that minorities, such as Arabs, must not be appointed to certain positions that impact the entire nation's overall Jewish character.
Although he did not state so explicitly, he seemed to be referring to the Bennett-Lapid governments that included, for the first time in Israeli history, the Islamist Ra'am party in the coalition. Ariel also said that non-Jews cannot hold high-ranking positions in the Israeli government in some cases, saying that as a state for the Jewish people, Israel cannot ignore its core mission. "The public character of the state must remain Israeli," he said, which is expressed, among others, by the closure of commerce on the Shabbat, kosher food in public institutions, and the Law of Return.
Ariel did not, however, completely veto the participation of non-Jews in decision-making, saying that as tax-paying citizens, they deserved a say in the distribution of budgets. Representatives of the minorities can participate in politics, but only in areas that are common to all citizens, he said. A coalition, however, cannot be formed if it depends on a minority. The politicians representing Israel should only be Israelis [Jews], especially such crucial roles as prime minister, president, Knesset speaker, defense minister, IDF chief of staff, and foreign minister.
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