Interior Minister Arye Deri slammed the selection of Israel Prize recipients on Twitter on Wednesday asking why is it that not a single Mizrhai Jew or Arab-Israeli was selected to win the prize.
“Those who won the Israel Prize deserve it,” the minister wrote, but said that the lack of Mizrhai or Arab people among the winners is a “shame.”
“It is very sad we have not progressed,” he said, meaning Israeli society in general.
Twitter users responded by pointing out that Shas, the party Deri leads, does not include women among its ranks and that as a minister he was in a good position to suggest candidates to his liking.
One user noted that since the prize was established in 1953 it was given to roughly 100 women and 6 Arab-Israelis.