Following Supreme Court Petition: PM Announces Intent to Appoint Interior Minister

The State notified the Supreme Court today, Monday, within the framework of the petition by the Movement for Quality Government, that the Prime Minister intends to appoint an Interior Minister during the election period. The announcement followed a court order requiring the State to detail the difficulties arising from the absence of a permanent minister and its plan to address them.

In the petition filed against the government, the Movement demanded the appointment of a permanent Interior Minister and the cancellation of government decisions transferring ministerial powers to the Prime Minister. The Movement argued that managing the ministry through ad-hoc transfers cannot replace a permanent minister who bears full responsibility for its operations.

In its statement, the State confirmed that the lack of a permanent Interior Minister creates real legal and practical difficulties that intensify over time. The State clarified that the temporary solutions adopted, including the transfer of powers to the Prime Minister, do not provide a full response and create complications of their own.

According to the State, the government has decided to transfer approximately 90 powers of the Interior Minister to the Prime Minister and one to the Minister of Finance. The Knesset has approved the transfer of 56 powers, while about 35 remain pending approval.

The difficulties concern various vital areas, including:

1. Knesset elections and the voter registry

2. Soldiers' voting

3. Immigration and citizenship

4. Entry into Israel and senior appointments

5. Local government and municipal tax (arnona)

6. Planning, construction, and education

The Central Elections Committee has noted the high likelihood that the Interior Minister's powers will be required during the election campaign.

While the Prime Minister's announcement is a significant development in the petition's proceedings, the appointment has not yet been made, and the case remains pending.

Advocate Tomer Naor, Deputy Director of Law and Strategy at the Movement for Quality Government, stated:

"The State now clearly admits that the lack of a permanent Interior Minister creates real legal and practical difficulties and harms vital functions. A central government ministry cannot be managed over time through temporary solutions. The Prime Minister's announcement is an important step, but a declaration of intent is not enough. We will continue to insist on the appointment of a permanent minister who will bear full responsibility for the ministry and the services it provides to the public."