Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, one of the greatest rabbis in the national-religious sector, argues in a controversial ruling that it is forbidden to form a coalition that depends on the votes of Israel's minorities, and that non-Jews are forbidden to serve as government ministers.
In a new and reasoned article written in the book "Tachomin", an annual book of articles published by the Tzomet Institute that deals with issues of religion and state and halachic clarifications on issues of the Jewish state, Rabbi Ariel reviews the issue and states that there is no place to integrate minorities, such as Muslims, into the leadership of the state. Although he does not write this explicitly, the context for the government of change and reliance on the Ra'am party is clear.
In his article, Rabbi Ariel notes that since the State of Israel is a "dedicated" framework, it cannot deny its name and destiny. "The public character of the state must remain Israeli, since it is defined as the state of the Jewish people." According to him, Israeli identity must be expressed in the shutdown of commerce on the Sabbath, kosher food in public institutions, the Law of Return, and more. "Let alone the people at the top of the government – they must be Israelis" (i.e., Jews).
Their right to be partners
The rabbi does not rule out involving non-Jews in decisions, because they pay taxes like all citizens and have the right to be partners in distributing the budget and to take their needs into account. "They must also be involved in decisions, at least as far as members of their community are concerned. For this purpose, it is necessary to appoint their own representatives who are well acquainted with the members of their community. It is permissible and even appropriate to appoint senior officials who will be part of the overall government and who will be responsible for distributing the budget in their sectors. And in a mixed city, where the needs of minorities cannot be divided into those of Israelis, there is nothing preventing the same senior official from representing all strata of the population, including Israelis."
But at the same time, Rabbi Ariel writes that decision makers must be Jewish.
In conclusion, the rabbi writes that "minorities can be included in the government, but only in areas common to all citizens of the state. In these fields, they can be appointed in senior positions. No coalition should be formed that depends on the votes of minorities. The political leadership representing the state should be composed only of Israelis, such as the prime minister and his substitute, the president of the state, the speaker of the Knesset, and the like. Certainly one should not appoint a defense minister, chief of staff, foreign minister, etc. who are not Israelis."
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