Jewish Agency praises appointment of Bitan as Diaspora Committee head

A spokesman for Bitan said he was unaware that his boss was getting the post and "when there will be something official, you will know. Now there is nothing."

By GIL HOFFMAN
David Bitan in Knesset on February 5, 2018. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
David Bitan in Knesset on February 5, 2018.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Jewish Agency officials expressed satisfaction on Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offering the chairmanship of the Knesset’s Aliyah, Immigrant Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee to Likud MK David Bitan.
Likud sources confirmed the appointment, which is still unofficial, as well as that of Druse MK Patin Mula as deputy minister of regional cooperation and MK Tali Ploskov as deputy welfare and social services minister in the second half of the term. The committee deals with issues that matter to Diaspora Jewry, including conversion, religious pluralism and problems integrating immigrants from Ethiopia. Diaspora Jewish leaders are frequently invited to the committee.
Bitan has chaired the Jewish People’s Caucus in the Knesset since 2016 and has been on seven trips abroad to Jewish communities organized by the Jewish Agency. An agency official said it is helpful to have the committee headed by an MK from the ruling party who is close to the prime minister.
“We think it’s a great appointment,” said Jewish Agency secretary-general Josh Schwarcz. “He understands the issues, his English is fine, and he passed legislation that expands the agency’s ability to work with the government.”
But opposition MKs said Bitan was only offered to head the committee because his bribery indictment prevents him from serving as a minister. Another committee controlled by Likud, the Knesset Welfare Committee, will also be headed by an MK who cannot be a minister due to a criminal indictment: former welfare minister Haim Katz.
The Likud intended to abolish the committee by merging it with another headed by an MK from United Torah Judaism and create a committee on helping businesses harmed by the coronavirus that would have been headed by Bitan. But the party relented after pressure from Diaspora organizations and opposition MKs.
A spokesman for Bitan said he was unaware that his boss was getting the post, and “when there will be something official, you will know. Now there is nothing.”
Besides Bitan, the chairmanship of the  Aliyah, Immigrant Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee was requested by MKs Avi Dichter, Sharren Haskel and Ploskov. Dichter is a former minister who speaks perfect English. Haskel made aliyah from Canada and has focused on Diaspora issues. Ploskov is an immigrant from Moldova who helped immigrants when she was mayor of Arad.
The Knesset Arrangements Committee was supposed to meet on Wednesday morning to allocate Knesset committees among the parties. But half an hour after the meeting was supposed to start, a spokesman for the committee announced that the meeting had been postponed until an undetermined time.
Likud and Blue and White MKs on the committee on Wednesday night said no progress had been made all day toward resolving the dispute. But Likud faction chairman Miki Zohar said the matter would be fixed by next week.
The Likud was expected to give the opposition the State Control, Anti-Drug, Women’s Advancement and Violence in the Arab Sector committees. The State Control Committee is expected to be chaired by Yesh Atid MK Ofer Shelah.
Blue and White MKs Eitan Ginzburg, Ram Shefa and Miki Haimovich will head the Knesset’s House, Education and Interior committees, respectively. The Coronavirus Committee, which was headed by Shelah, will be chaired by former construction and housing minister Yifat Shasha-Biton (Likud).
The chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee will be UTJ MK Moshe Gafni, the chairman of the Law, Constitution and Justice Committee will be UTJ MK Yakov Asher, and Shas MK Ya’acov Margi will head the Economy Committee. The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will be chaired by MK Zvi Hauser (Derech Eretz).