New Shas MK Yigal Guetta sworn in

Yigal Guetta became a lawmaker after deputy interior minister Meshulam Nahari resigned from the legislature.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Updated: JANUARY 26, 2016 01:56
The Knesset plenum (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The Knesset plenum
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Yigal Guetta of Shas gave his inaugural speech as an MK Monday, after being sworn in as a lawmaker.
“I will focus on social and welfare issues, which are close to my heart,” Guetta said. “I take upon myself to be the public’s servant. I am glad to have the privilege to serve the People of Israel and the underprivileged public that needs help more than all others.”
Guetta became a lawmaker after deputy interior minister Meshulam Nahari resigned from the legislature. Nahari will retain his portfolio.
The deputy minister resigned as part of the Mini-Norwegian Law, which states that one minister or deputy minister per party may resign in order to allow in a new MK, but if the person who resigned is fired from or leaves the government, he or she may return to the Knesset, and the new MK would have to leave.
Deputy Finance Minister Yitzhak Cohen and Religious Services Minister David Azoulay will rotate resignations from the Knesset with Nahari.
The Shas Council of Torah Sages declared that Interior Minister Arye Deri, the party’s leader, should not resign from the Knesset.
Several ultra-Orthodox news sites called Guetta, “the new MK Oren Hazan (Likud),” saying the new Shas MK has a penchant for making outlandish statements, much like the Likud MK that has been at the center of several scandals since the 20th Knesset was sworn in.