Israel’s High Court bars three-times convicted Shas Party chief from being minister
Arieh Dery, who had been named both health and interior minister, has been deemed unfit for public office despite the approval of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Israel’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Arieh Dery, the leader of ultra-orthodox Shas party, can’t serve as a minister in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government due to his criminal past.
The court ruled 10-1 that Dery’s minister posting was “unreasonable in the extreme” due to his criminal past.
Dery, who had been named both health and interior minister by Netanyahu, has been convicted of criminal offences three times. In 1999 he was sentenced to three years in jail on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Last year, Dery was again indicted, this time on tax offences. His plea deal with the court forced him to resign from Knesset and promise not to return to public life.
“This is a person who has been convicted three times of offenses throughout his life, and he violated his duty to serve the public loyally and lawfully while serving in senior public positions,” Supreme Court President Esther Hayout said.
“Having Dery in charge of two of the most important ministries in the government damages the image and reputation of the country’s legal system and contradicts principles of ethical conduct and legality,” she added.
Hundreds of ultra-orthodox men gathered in front of Dery’s home in a show of support, while a number of high-profile guests visited him, including Finance Minister Smotrich and Netanyahu.
“When they close the door on us, we’ll get in through the window. When they close the window we’ll break through the ceiling, with God’s help we’ll continue the revolution our predecessors began, with even greater devotion and energy.”
Coalition parties and lawmakers issued unprecedented statements attacking the court, with some calling Israel a “dictatorship,” promising that the court’s ruling would be ignored and that Dery would indeed serve as minister.
Netanyahu, who will now be forced to fire Dery if he doesn’t resign himself, said “When my brother is in distress, I come to him.”
Justice Minister Yariv Levin vowed to “do everything necessary to fully repair the terrible injustice done to Rabbi Aryeh Dery, Shas and Israeli democracy.”
The Supreme Court’s ruling added tensions to its ongoing battle with the government, which has announced judicial reforms that will make it impossible for the Supreme Court to strike down legislation passed in Knesset.
“Disgusting gay”
Amir Ohana, the openly gay Knesset Speaker from Likud, also visited Dery at his home last night, but was met yet again with homophobic slur by the ultra-orthodox supporters of Dery.
“Disgusting gay” and “conversion therapy” was yelled at Ohana, who made history in Israel twice after becoming the first openly gay minister in the country’s history in 2019 and later the first openly gay Knesset Speaker in the new government.
The rampant homophobia among religious lawmakers and rabbis in the media have become daily occurrences in Israel after the new government was sworn in.
Openly gay speaker of Knesset, Amir Ohana, met with homophobia by ultra-orthodox men outside Shas party leader Arieh Dery’s house. “Disgusting gay” was yelled at him. Ohana came to offer support to Dery after Supreme Court ruled he can’t be minister due to his criminal past. https://t.co/cUEIOA6mDz
— Jotam Confino (@mrconfino) January 19, 2023
Dery himself reacted negatively to the appointment of Ohana as Knesset Speaker, according to Kikar Hashabbat Haredi news site, which cited lawmakers saying Dery felt “tricked” by Netanyahu.
“We erred in our conduct in the plenum,.I headed out immediately after the speech, I can’t understand the Haredi MKs who went to hug him after that address,” Dery reportedly said.
Earlier this week, a voice recording was leaked by Kan Public Broadcasting in which Finance Minister Smotrich is heard saying “I may be a far-right person, a homophobe, racist, fascist, but my word is my bond.”
“A Sephardic, traditional person, you think they care about gays? They don’t give a damn. They tell me ‘I don’t have a problem with them,’ (but) do you think they care about me being against them?” he said.
Rabbis, who yield significant influence in the ultra-orthodox community as well as politics, raged against the appointment of Ohana as Knesset Speaker.
Jerusalem’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Shlomo Amar, called the decision to name Ohana as Knesset speaker “unbearable.”
“This whole thing with the abominations — today they’re glorified. For shame. Such a disgrace. Woe to the ears that hear of such things. It is unbearable. They appoint them to roles that are considered lofty. They have lost all of their shame,” he said.
Leading rabbi Meir Mazuz, who is close to ultra-Orthodox lawmakers in Knesset, said Ohana was “infected with a disease.”
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