Religious services minister: Northern burial services preparing for a 'major scenario'

Religious Services Minister Michael Malkieli was interviewed on Wednesday evening by the Channel 14 program 'The Patriots,' where he told them they are preparing for "major scenarios" in the North.

"The Religious Services Ministry entrusted with burials is preparing itself for major scenarios in the North. We are having meetings for big things in the North," Malkieli told Channel 14.

השר מלכיאלי חושף בפטריוטים: "המשרד לשירותי דת שאמון על מערכת הקבורה מכין את עצמו לתרחישים בצפון. לא הכל אפשר לומר באולפנים, אבל עושים ישיבות במשרד להיערך לדברים גדולים יותר בצפון"#הפטריוטים@itamarfleishe pic.twitter.com/Ilquw6ROlT

— עכשיו 14 (@Now14Israel) June 19, 2024

After mentioning in passing that they were preparing for "major scenarios," the hosts asked him what he meant by that. Malkieli explained that they had to be prepared for such events in general.  Unsatisfied with the explanation, the hosts asked him whether there had been specific conversations about an escalation in the North.

Malkieli told them that even before October 7, they had called on the government for help in preparing for emergency burials, explaining they would need to be informed so they could prepare and that they were having such meetings now.

Malkieli also commented on the current crisis of the "Rabbi Law," saying it was "born as a result of a harsh report by the State Comptroller on the failure to appoint city rabbis in dozens of cities in Israel."

"Happily and sadly, I am inundated with thousands of inquiries from citizens as to why they do not have a city rabbi," he said.

Shas will not topple a right-wing government

He also rejected the idea that Shas would topple the government, saying, "No one will preach to us about the right-wing government. Shas chairman Deri personally dedicated his life to each and every vote during the Bennett-Lapid government to cause them defeat and the subsequent establishment of the right-bloc and the current government. Shas leads in actions of the right, not in talking about the right."

Malkieli blamed the current governmental paralysis on internal right-wingers siding with the left: "Certain right-wing elements in the Knesset, in the government and the media, joined forces with the left to fight against religion, some of them out of ignorance. The fight against the law was supposed to be from left-wing elements—not our [coalition] partners."