Israel Will Re-Establish Religious Affairs Ministry

In Israel on Sunday, the Cabinet voted 15-7 (with 2 abstentions) to re-establish the Religious Affairs Ministry four years after it was dissolved and its duties were dispersed among other departments. YNet News reports that the new ministry will oversee the Chief Rabbinate, the Rabbinical Court and the Yeshiva division. Yossi Beilin, chairman of the liberal Meretz-Yachad Party, criticized the decision saying: "Israel just took a huge step back in reestablishing a ministry dedicated to force religious law in a secular majority."