Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel resigns, retires from political life

Ariel stayed on in his ministerial position over the last six months during which he was no longer an MK because he believed it was important to keep an experienced hand at the head of the ministry.

By JEREMY SHARON
Uri Ariel (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Uri Ariel
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Uri Ariel resigned from his ministerial post on Sunday, ending his nearly 18-year political career in the Knesset and government.
Ariel had been the head of the National Union political party, a constituent of the Bayit Yehudi Knesset faction, serving in the position from 2013 until January this year when he was beaten by Bezalel Smotrich in a primary election for party leader.
Ariel decided not to run as candidate for Knesset on the joint Bayit Yehudi-National Union party list for either the April or September elections this year, but nevertheless stayed on as Agriculture Minister until Sunday.
Ariel said in an interview with the Knesset Channel on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and himself had agreed that he would step down when the prime minister requested him to, a request only made Saturday night.
According to National Union officials, Netanyahu told Ariel after the appointment of New Right co-leader Naftali Bennett as defense minister that it was not politically possible for a party with seven seats to have four ministerial portfolios, meaning that it was time for Ariel to step down.
Ariel said that he had stayed on in his ministerial position over the last six months during which he was no longer an MK because he believed it was important to keep an experienced hand at the head of the ministry.
Ariel became an MK for National Union in 2001 after the murder of then-tourism minister Rehavam Zeevi, entering the Knesset after his death.
He served as the Construction and Housing Minister from 2013 to 2015 during the 33rd government, and as Agriculture and Rural Development Minister during the 34th government.
Among some of the issues Ariel advanced during his time as an MK and minister has been assistance for those who were evacuated from the Gush Katif settlements in Gaza in 2005; Jewish visitation and prayer rights on the Temple Mount; and the immigration to Israel of the Falash Mura community who are descendants of the Ethiopian Jewish community.
Ariel was and remains a strong proponent of the settler movement, and before his time as an MK, served as the secretary-general of the Council for Judea, Samaria and Gaza, which represents the interests of settlers and the settlements.
As construction minister, he promoted the expansion of settlements and an increase in the rate of their construction, and was also an advocate of annexing Area C of the West Bank which comprises 60% of the land in the territory, and includes all the settlements.
Former Meretz chair and MK Zahav Galon upbraided Ariel for his advancement of the settler movement after he announced his resignation on Sunday, saying that Ariel represented “the politics of the settlers of [seeking more and] more land,” and said that his agenda had been one of “violence in the name of the state.”
Smotrich, the current National Union leader and Transportation Minister, shot back at Galo, saying that “Ariel’s contribution to settlement throughout the Land of Israel is invaluable.”
“[His contribution] will be recorded by an iron pen in annals of the national revival enterprise in the State of Israel, and many more will undoubtedly speak of what he has done,” Smotrich added.


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