Aleli Admasu to replace Minister-without-Portfolio Yossi Peled, doubling number of Ethiopian-born MKs from one to two.
By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMANYossi Peled hands resignation to Reuven Rivlin 370(photo credit: Courtesy Knesset spokesman)
The number of Ethiopian-born members of Knesset will double to two on Sunday when Aleli Admasu becomes an MK in place of Minister-without-Portfolio Yossi Peled, who submitted his resignation to Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin on Thursday.Admasu, who served as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s adviser on the Ethiopian community, was the next name on the Likud candidates list. He will join Kadima’s Shlomo Molla, another Ethiopian immigrant, in the Knesset.A record third Ethiopian MK is expected to enter the Knesset ahead of the next general election, because Shas MK Haim Amsalem must legally quit in order to run for the next Knesset with another party, as he intends to do.The next name on the Shas list is Ethiopian-born Rabbi Mazor Bahyna, who served in the Knesset from April 2008 to February 2009.Admasu said he was glad that the Ethiopian sector would have what he considered proper representation. He vowed to work to better integrate Ethiopian immigrants in Israeli society.“In Israel, we are a democracy with many views and many colors,” he said.Admasu said it “feels good to be entering the Knesset,” noting that he “waited a very long time for this moment.” He had been next on the Likud list for more than three years but no Likud MK had left, in contrast with Kadima from which seven MKs have already left.Rivlin wished Peled well in his new job as chairman of the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline. He thanked him for his years of public service in the government and the army.Peled will resign from the cabinet at its next meeting in 10 days. He was in charge of helping Holocaust survivors and former members of the South Lebanon Army and he served on 10 ministerial committees.
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