First publication: In light of his legal situation, Bitan's appointment as minister will be approved by the government and not by telephone

Contrary to most appointments made in the last year approved by telephone poll, approval of the latest round of filing was postponed until the upcoming government meeting. To Walla! NEWS has learned that Attorney General believes that in Bitten's case, who is suspected of bribery offenses, it is better to approve the appointment in an orderly hearing in government

First publication: In light of his legal situation, Bitan's appointment as minister will be approved by the government and not by telephone

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the appointment of new ministers earlier this week, but to Walla! NEWS learned that appointments were postponed a week until they were approved by the government in light of MK David Bitten's legal situation, who is expected to be appointed minister of agriculture, despite a series of suspicions against him in bribery offenses. Contrary to most other transitions made in the last year's government - approved by government ministers in the referendum Telephony - Attorney General believes that in Bittan's case, it is better to approve appointment in a governmental hearing, Mendelblitt said it was better not to settle for a technical telephone vote and to hold a government hearing so that all considerations and difficulties that may arise in light of public criticism against Indictment, be taken into consideration before voting on the nomination.

Netanyahu announced earlier this week a round of appointments among government ministers, after he had to resign from the cases when the indictments were filed against him. Apart from Bitan, who is expected to be appointed to the agriculture portfolio, Hak Tzipi Autoboli has also been appointed to the Diaspora Portfolio, Deputy Finance Minister Itzik Cohen of Shass will be appointed Minister of Housing, and Minister Yifat Shasha Biton, who has served in the Ministry of Housing, will move to the welfare portfolio. Under the Basic Law, a new government can appoint new ministers instead of resigning without the Knesset's approval, if the new ministers serve as MKs, and only require the vote and approval of the government itself. As with most of Netanyahu's appointments in the past year, Netanyahu also intended to make a telephone referendum.

As evidence, as soon as the appointment was announced, Shasha Biton filed a resignation letter from the Housing Ministry to allow Cohen's appointment and move to the welfare office. Twenty-four hours later, Asha Biton withdrew the appointment letter and the Prime Minister's Office said it was a procedure only, as the approval of appointments was postponed to the cabinet meeting on Sunday. To Walla! It was learned that Mendelblit had a recommendation behind it, which preferred to approve the appointments with a substantive and substantive discussion with the government and not to settle for mere technical telephone approval.

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Difficulties may arise in the light of public criticism of the appointment. Bitten (Photo: Reuven Castro)

Khalid Bitan from the Likud, December 26, 2018 (Photo: Reuven Castro)

Last year, the police announced that there was an evidentiary foundation against Bitten for accepting bribes and breach of trust in 12 different cases, but no final decision has yet been made regarding the indictment against him and therefore there is no legal impediment in appointing him. If and when he is indicted, he will be forced to resign. Following his appointment to the Agriculture Case this week, the Government for Quality Government turned to Mandelblit and demanded that he make a decision on Bitten's trial as soon as possible. "The continuation of the investigations into Bitan's case and the refusal of the prosecutor's office to make a decision - seriously hurt both the public interest and the public's trust in the law enforcement system, public certainty regarding the status of the Knesset and MK Bitan himself, which has been" over the top of the criminal proceedings "for over two years. , Was written in her face.

"The importance of making a decision is not only significant for the public, but also for MK Bitten. The consequences of a criminal investigation into the suspects are extremely severe. A person under criminal investigation is in high tension, his good name is injured and he is in complete uncertainty. For this reason too, the law must be exhausted as quickly as possible, and the continuation of the proceedings which causes a torture of justice for the person being investigated should be avoided. "