Provisional Finance Committee Appoints MK Rabbi Gafni as Committee Chair

​​The provisional Finance Committee convened on Monday and voted to approve the recommendation of the Arrangements Committee to appoint MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) as committee chair.

Arrangements Committee Chair MK Yoav Kisch (Likud) said: “The truth is that on a personal level, I’m very excited to be here. I’m glad for two reasons: First, I am very fond of Rabbi Gafni, and I was a member of his committees for many years. He did an excellent job, and I’m sure that this will be the case in the 25th Knesset as well. I can tell you that there was also a committee chair in the previous term who tried to work, but encountered a Finance Minister with a clear agenda to harm a specific sector. I hope that in the next government this will change completely. I want to tell the members of the opposition that if you vote against, this will be a precedent-setting event that has not happened in the past, and I consider it a bad precedent.”

Speaker of the Knesset MK Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid) said: “MK Gafni, chair of the provisional committee, who is also likely to be the permanent [committee chair] — over the years you have made your mark on this committee. For the new MKs: This is the most important committee, which determines the State of Israel’s entire economic course of action. I have served on this committee for a cumulative period of 10 years, it influences here and leaves its fingerprints there, and in the end [the committee members] reach a compromise for the benefit of the State of Israel and its citizens. I wish you success in your post,,[which you have held] before; I have no doubt that you will continue to make a mark on the committee. There are many issues in which you rise above political affiliation for the benefit of the State of Israel and its citizens. Good luck, MK Gafni, your success is our success too.”

Rabbi Gafni said: “The Knesset Speaker was a member of the committee; he was in the opposition and I was in the coalition, but most of the votes in the committee were unanimous. We did things, we improved laws, and the members from both sides were part of the matter.

“I am announcing in advance, I have heard that the governor [of the Bank of Israel] intends to raise the interest rate. This means that mortgage holders will pay more money, and I intend to hold a debate on the matter. I also want to address the increase in milk prices in a debate. There will not be a finance minister in the State of Israel who will tell me not to hold debates on critical social issues, which belong to everyone. We have to know here in the committee that this place is different from others; here we work together, opposition and coalition, and do what is good for the State of Israel. Now we will have to turn over transfer payments and surpluses that have accumulated in an unreasonable amount. I daven to Hashem to guide me in the right path, particularly at this difficult time. I accept the burden of the [position of] committee chair, as a person who represents everyone. I thank you for your support.”