Netanyahu fires Deri ‘with a heavy heart’ after High Court nixes convicted minister
(Worthy News) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed top ally Aryeh Deri from the cabinet on Sunday, in a move expected to trigger political uncertainty despite being mandated by the High Court of Justice and advocated by the attorney general.
Netanyahu said that he was “compelled, with a heavy heart” to comply with Wednesday’s court ruling — which cited Deri’s multiple convictions and recent apparent deception of a lower court — and terminate Deri’s dual appointment as interior and health minister. The dismissal will go into effect on Tuesday. Deri’s Shas party has pushed for Netanyahu to find a path for him to rejoin the cabinet, and the prime minister pledged to find “any legal way whereby you can continue to contribute to the State of Israel.”
Responding to his dismissal, Deri said that after the court decision “it was clear” to both himself and Netanyahu that he would leave the government, but that he would not be withdrawing from political life. “No judicial decision will prevent me from serving and representing” the 400,000-odd Shas voters who gave his ultra-Orthodox party 11 Knesset seats in November’s elections, he said. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]