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Yaakov Litzman

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Yaakov Litzman
Ministerial roles
2015–2017Minister of Health
2019–2020Minister of Health
2020–2021Minister of Housing & Construction
Faction represented in the Knesset
1999–2005United Torah Judaism
2005–2006Agudat Yisrael
2006–2008United Torah Judaism
2008–2009Agudat Yisrael
2009–2021United Torah Judaism
2021–2022United Torah Judaism
Personal details
Born (1948-09-02) 2 September 1948 (age 76)
Allied-occupied Germany

Yaakov Noach Litzman (Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב נָח לִיצְמָן, born 2 September 1948) is an Israeli politician and former government minister. A follower of the Ger Hasidic dynasty, he heads Agudat Yisrael, part of the United Torah Judaism alliance, in the Knesset.[1] He previously served as Minister of Health[2] and Minister of Housing and Construction. He was a Member of Knesset from 1999 - 2022.

Biography

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Litzman was born to Holocaust survivors from Poland, in a displaced persons camp in Allied-occupied Germany.[citation needed] When he was two years old, the family immigrated to the United States, settling in Brooklyn, first in the East New York section and then to the Borough Park, where he grew up.[3] In 1966, at age 17, he immigrated to Israel, and continued his Torah studies.

Litzman is married, has five children, and lives in Jerusalem.

Pedagogic career

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Litzman in 2010

His first job was as principal of the Hasidic Beis Yaakov girls' school in Jerusalem.

Political career

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Early Days

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Litzman became active in politics under the guidance of the then-Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Simcha Binem Alter. Over time, Litzman became known as the rebbe's right-hand man, a role he continues under the present Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Arye Alter.[4]

Litzman was an assistant to the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Moshe Ze'ev Feldman until 1989.[5] He was also an advisor to Member of Knesset Avraham Yosef Shapira.[4]

Member of the Knesset

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In 1999 he joined the Agudat Yisrael faction of the United Torah Judaism list for the Knesset elections that year. He was subsequently elected, and became Chairman of the Finance Committee.

Litzman at the second OECD conference as Chairman of the Finance Committee

In the years 2001-2003 and again in the years 2005-2007, he served as the chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee. During his tenure, he initiated several laws, including the Law on Unique Cultural Educational Institutions and the law granting exemption to synagogues, mosques, churches and khalwats from paying lease fees to the Israel Land Administration.

Member of Government Coalition

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In the elections of 2009, Litzman was placed first on the list of United Torah Judaism, however, after being elected, he was not given the chairmanship of the finance committee as before, due to opposition from members of his faction. Instead he was appointed Deputy Minister of Health.[6] At the same time, he ceased to be the chairman of the United Torah Judaism faction, and was replaced by Member of Knesset Menachem Eliezer Moses.

In 2015 he returned to serve as Deputy Minister of Health (Acting Minister). In August 2015 , following a petition filed by the Yesh Atid party, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled that Litzman could not serve as a deputy minister in the capacity of a minister and must be appointed as a minister. Following this, the Council of Torah Elders of Agudath Israel decided to change a previous decision of the council according to which members of the Knesset on behalf of Agudat Israel would not hold ministerial positions and allowed Litzman to be appointed Minister of Health.[7] As a result, the government decided to appoint him Minister of Health.[8]

In 2017, Litzman announced his resignation from the government, due to the continuation of Israel Railways work on Shabbat.[9] In 2018, the Knesset approved an amendment making it possible for Litzman to return to the position of Deputy Minister of Health. He officially returned to serve as Minister of Health in 2019.[10]

In 2020 he was appointed at his request to the Minister of Construction and Housing.[11]

In 2021, Litzman announced his retirement and desire to run in forthcoming elections.[12]

In 2022, following the plea agreement in the Malka Leifer case, Litzman announced that he was resigning from the Knesset.[13]

Minister of Health

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In 2016 Litzman ordered Israel to reinstate fluoridation of Israeli drinking water. Fluoride had been added to tap water since the 1970s, but removed by his predecessor in the Ministry of Health Yael German. Litzman stated it was "important act to advance dental health in Israel.”[14] German criticized him and petitioned the Supreme Court to stop the reinstatement.[15] He also rescinded German's order to cancel free dental care for children and expanded dental coverage.[16][17]

Litzman opposed Brain Death Law and stated he believed patients should be declared dead only when their hearty stops beating.[18] In 2009 he intervened to give a dying toddler medication contrary to a doctor's recommendation.[19]

Litzman called for women be separated from men in the psychiatric hospitals.[20]

In 2010 he approved measures to fund invitro-fertilization and ease access to egg donors, with the stipulation that the egg recipient would be allowed to ascertain the donor’s religion.[21][22]

On multiple occasion, Litzman would make surprise visits to hospitals to check on their efficiency and conditions.[23] In one instance, the Jerusalem Post reported he intervened in a hospital to sit with a 100-year-old man until hospital staff treated him.[24] In a 2010 visit to Kfar Shaul Mental Health Center, he ordered the ministry to find a solution to lack of space.[25]

During his tenure, mental health benefits was transferred from the clinics to the health funds.[26] In 2019, in light of long waits for treatment, there was an exchange of accusations between the Ministries of Health and Finance regarding an additional budget that was supposed to reach the Ministry of Health for the budgeting of the reform.[27]

In 2016, Litzman announced reforms hospital cafeterias allowing for discount food stores such as Cofix to operate on the premises. Food vending machines were installed at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.[28]

In 2016 he opposed government recognition for mikvahs run by the Reform and Conservative movements.[29]

In 2016 he voted against a series of gay rights bills which included allowing gay civil unions, enabling gay couples to adopt, prohibiting conversion therapy, and giving benefits to gay partners of IDF soldier killed in action.[30] He also voted down a bill to add gender identity to the list of hate crimes.[31]

In 2016, Litzman began a campaign against junk food, using McDonald's as an example. McDonald's countered by stating that for the past ten years, they have been refining their menus and ingredients to make their food healthier.[32] He also campaigned against tobacco, but in 2017, opposing law requiring cigarette warning labels.[33] In 2017, investigative journalist Haim Rivlin said the reason was that HaModia newspaper, founded by Agudat Israel members, of which Litzman is affiliated, published advertisements on behalf of the tobacco companies.[34]

During the 2018 measles outbreak, Litzman was a stanch support of vaccines, calling them the "cornerstone of the prevention of dangerous infectious diseases."[35] He called for taking measures against parents who refuse to vaccinate their children before sending them to school.[36] [37]

In the runup to the 2021 Israeli legislative election, it was announced that Moshe Gafni would replace Litzman as leader of UTJ in the following Knesset.[38] After the election and with the swearing in of the Thirty-sixth government of Israel, UTJ found itself in opposition for the first time since 2015. For the first time in his political career, he was not chair of a Knesset committee, a minister or deputy minister, or leader of a party. He announced in December 2021 that he would not run for reelection to the Knesset, citing his advanced age.[39]

Litzman resigned from the Knesset in June 2022, as part of a plea agreement in which he admitted criminally obstructing the extradition of convicted pedophile Malka Leifer.[40][41]

Coronavirus Pandemic

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When coronavirus came to Israel in 2020, Litzman supported social distancing[42] and masks.[43] "The mask is an important measure for personal protection, for preventing the spread of the virus and becoming infected with it," Litzman stated.[44] In the early days of the pandemic, debate raged in Israel as to whether the government would ban public protests and attending synagogues, with religious Jews, like Litzman, complaining that they were targeted unfairly, while secular protesters were allowed to congregate.[45] Litzman was accused of violating his own rules when he allegedly attending group prayer services just days before he was diagnosed with COVID-19 himself.[46] He was the first Israeli elected official to be diagnosed with COVID-19.[47] He advocated the use of COVID-19 vaccines.[48] He was criticized by fellow elected officials and the many in the public for the Health Ministry's handling of the pandemic.[49] [50]

Controversy

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The Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler calling the promotion of Litzman "a slap in the face to the Australian Jewish Community, the Australian people, the community of Australian [immigrants] in Israel, and, most shockingly, to the survivors of Malka Leifer's alleged abuse".[51] With the Thirty-fifth government of Israel, Litzman resigned from the Knesset as part of the Norwegian Law, and was sworn in as Minister of Housing and Construction.[1] On 13 September 2020, Litzman resigned as Minister of Housing and Construction, in protest over a nationwide coronavirus shutdown scheduled to begin over the High Holidays of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot, beginning on the first night on Rosh HaShanah, 19 September, for at least three weeks.[52] On 18 November, he was re-appointed as Minister of Housing and Construction.[53]


In January 2022, Litzman signed a plea deal admitting that he had criminally assisted later-convicted paedophile Malka Leifer's attempt to evade extradition to Australia.[40] Several other charges against Litzman relating to his activities as health minister were dropped as part of the plea agreement. The plea deal required Litzman to pay a nominal fine and to resign from the Knesset, which he did on 1 June 2022. In June 2022, Litzman was replaced as head of UTJ by Yitzhak Goldknopf.[54]

In a February 2016 discussion in the Knesset about Israeli health authorities being more sensitive towards LGBT people, Litzman compared LGBT people to the sinners who danced around the Golden Calf.[55][56]

Litzman was criticized over statements that seemed to serve the interests of the tobacco companies, including hindering efforts to curb cigarette ads. In his first tenure as deputy health minister (2009-2013), Litzman opposed warning labels and stickers despite their role in reducing the habit in other countries. Litzman argued that the images of dirty lungs and teeth aimed at discouraging children and youth from smoking were "unaesthetic."[57]

In his second tenure (starting 2015), Litzman was criticized for opposing legislation prohibiting tobacco advertising in newspapers. Litzman argued that such laws would bankrupt newspapers, which rely on the advertising revenue.[58] It was pointed out that Litzman had a conflict of interest due to his close association with ultra-Orthodox publications (Hamodia in particular) that rely on revenue from tobacco ads.[59][60] Litzman had a conflict of interest concerning Hamodia, due to the fact that it is published by his Agudat Yisrael party and employs his wife. A bill was finally agreed upon after other MKs threatened to vote against a bill restricting retail operations on Shabbat and Jewish religious holidays. However, Litzman stipulated that he would only agree on condition that the ban did not include printed publications.[61][62][63][64][65]

Litzman made a plea deal on 27 January 2022 admitting to breach of trust for using his former position as deputy health minister to obstruct the extradition to Australia of Malka Leifer, who was accused and later convicted in the Adass Israel School sex abuse scandal.[66] He had attempted to obtain false psychiatric evaluations that would deem Leifer unfit to face trial in Australia.[67] Israeli police recommended on 6 August 2019 that Litzman be indicted for "fraud and breach of trust" (both related to the Leifer case), as well as bribery in another case.[68] In May 2021, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced that he will indict Litzman for obstruction of justice and breach of trust.[69]

Eli Beer, president of Israel's United Hatzalah ambulance service, criticized Litzman for refusing to allow Hatzalah's 6,000 volunteers to play a role in assisting the Health Ministry and Magen David Adom to conduct virus tests. Litzman claimed Hatzalah staff were less professional.[70]

References

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  1. ^ a b Staff writer (17 May 2020). "The ministers of Israel's 35th government". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  2. ^ Jacob Magid (29 December 2019). "Cabinet okays Litzman as health minister, drawing fury of Australia's Jews". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  3. ^ devcontent (6 December 2017). "Substance over Style: No Frills Litzman - Mishpacha Magazine". Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b www.makorrishon.co.il https://www.makorrishon.co.il/%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%91%D7%97%D7%95%D7%98%D7%99%D7%9D/110945/. Retrieved 1 December 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ "⁨ליצמן התפטר מתפקידו כיועץ סגן שר העבודה ⁩ — ⁨⁨מעריב⁩ 14 אפריל 1989⁩ — הספרייה הלאומית של ישראל │ עיתונים". www.nli.org.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  6. ^ "ליצמן לביבי: אהיה סגן שר הבריאות". 16 October 2013. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  7. ^ תובל, מיקי פלד ואורי (27 August 2015). "מועצת גדולי התורה אישרה את מינוי יעקב ליצמן לשר הבריאות". כלכליסט - www.calcalist.co.il. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  8. ^ "הממשלה החליטה למנות את ח"כ יעקב ליצמן לתפקיד שר הבריאות". www.maariv.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  9. ^ "משבר השבת: שר הבריאות יעקב ליצמן הגיש את התפטרותו מהממשלה".
  10. ^ שניידר, טל (29 December 2019). "ליצמן מונה לשר הבריאות; נתניהו צפוי להכריז על עוד מינויי שרים מחר". Globes. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  11. ^ "ליצמן שוקל לוותר על תיק הבריאות ולעבור לשיכון".
  12. ^ אזולאי, מורן (26 December 2021). "ליצמן: "אם יהיו בחירות חדשות - לא אתמודד"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  13. ^ "End Of An Era: Yaakov Litzman Resigns After 23 Years In The Knesset". www.theyeshivaworld.com. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Litzman seeks to return fluoride to drinking water after ban". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  15. ^ www.israelnationalnews.com https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/210755. Retrieved 1 December 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ^ "Cabinet expands free basic dental care to children aged 13 and 14". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  17. ^ "Decision on Budgeting for Pediatric Dental Care". www.gov.il. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  18. ^ "DM Litzman: Death When One's Heart Stops, Not Before". www.theyeshivaworld.com. 9 November 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  19. ^ "מתה הפעוטה מרחובות שלקחתה במוות מוחי וקיבלה טיפול תרופתי בהוראת סגן שר הבריאות, יעקב ליצמן".
  20. ^ "יעקב ליצמן: יזמתי הפרדה בין המינים בבתיה"ח הפסיכיאטריים בי-ם כדי להקל על החרדים".
  21. ^ vinnews (21 February 2010). "Israel - Litzman Supports Bill to Ease Egg Donations But Religion of Donor's to be Stated - VINnews". Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  22. ^ ניב, שי (22 February 2010). "סוף-סוף גם בישראל: ליצמן נותן הכשר לחוק הביציות". Globes. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  23. ^ "ליצמן ביקר בסורוקה ביקור פתע: התפוסה עדיין סבירה". www.inn.co.il. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  24. ^ "Elections 2019: Litzman's diagnosis for an ailing country". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  25. ^ "יעקב ליצמן בביקור פתע בבית החולים כפר שאול: "לו יכולתי, הייתי מוציא צו סגירה למקום"".
  26. ^ "Mental Health Reform". www.gov.il. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  27. ^ פילוט, אדריאן (21 March 2019). "ליצמן נגד כחלון: היכן הכסף שהבטחת לפסיכיאטריה?". כלכליסט - www.calcalist.co.il. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  28. ^ www.inn.co.il https://www.inn.co.il/news/315073. Retrieved 1 December 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  29. ^ "Health Minister on mikva issue: Reform Jews think they are jacuzzis". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  30. ^ "Health Minister Litzman likens gays to sinners as Knesset votes down LGBT rights bills". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  31. ^ "'Yaakov Litzman is the most homophobic minister'". www.israelnationalnews.com. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  32. ^ AP and ToI Staff. "Health minister urges boycott of McDonald's 'junk food'". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  33. ^ Tobin, Andrew (8 June 2017). "Smoking is making a comeback in Israel". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  34. ^ "N12 - מעטפות הכסף, המאכער ושר הבריאות". N12. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  35. ^ "Measles reported at prestigious Tel Aviv school, exposing thousands". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  36. ^ Staff, ToI. "Court orders 12-year-old to be vaccinated for measles despite father's refusal". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  37. ^ "Baltimore Jewish Life | Rabbi Litzman: Impose Sanctions on Parents Who Reject Child Inoculations". www.baltimorejewishlife.com. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  38. ^ Sharon, Jeremy (1 February 2021). "Gafni to head UTJ, Litzman bumped to No. 2". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  39. ^ Rosenberg, David (26 December 2021). "Former UTJ head and ex-minister Yaakov Litzman won't run for reelection". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  40. ^ a b TOI Staff (27 January 2022). "Litzman signs plea deal in Leifer case, avoiding jail time and paying symbolic fine". Times of Israel. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  41. ^ Rubin, Bentzi; Marziano, Tal (1 June 2022). "Now it's official: Litzman resigned from the Knesset". Srugim. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  42. ^ VChessed, Chaim (13 April 2020). "Neighborhoods Locked Down, Masks Required Outdoors". Chaim V'Chessed. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  43. ^ page, Sue Surkes. "Consumer watchdog asks Health Ministry to fix facial mask prices". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  44. ^ "Project for Increasing the Availability of Reusable High-Quality Masks that Meet the Necessary Standards". www.gov.il. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  45. ^ "Israel Tightens Holiday Lockdown, Restricting Prayers and Protests".
  46. ^ Staff, ToI. "Israeli leaders fail to follow own hygiene rules". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  47. ^ "Israelis lack trust in Health Minister Litzman - survey". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 4 April 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  48. ^ page, Shoshanna Solomon NEW! Get email alerts when this author publishes a new article You will receive email alerts from this author Manage alert preferences on your profile page You will no longer receive email alerts from this author Manage alert preferences on your profile. "Sleepy southern town of Yeruham looking to become site of vaccine facility". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 1 December 2024. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  49. ^ Yanko, Adir (29 March 2020). "Israeli doctors demand health minister be replaced by professional". Ynetnews. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  50. ^ Algemeiner, The (8 April 2020). "Litzman Coronavirus Saga Shows Need for Israeli Political Reform - Algemeiner.com". www.algemeiner.com. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  51. ^ Magid, Jacob (29 December 2019). "Cabinet okays Litzman as health minister, drawing fury of Australia's Jews". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  52. ^ Hoffman, Gil (13 September 2020). "Litzman: The first domino? - analysis". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  53. ^ "Yaakov Litzman to be appointed housing minister — again". The Times of Israel. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  54. ^ "Hasidic faction picks replacement for Litzman to serve in Knesset". The Times of Israel.
  55. ^ "LGBT People Know That They're Sinners". awiderbridge.org. A Wider Bridge. 25 February 2016. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  56. ^ Harkov, Lahav (24 February 2016). "Knesset votes down LGBT rights bills, Litzman likens gays to sinners". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  57. ^ Fulbright, Alexander (13 February 2017). "Health minister: Cigarette warning pictures 'unaesthetic'". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  58. ^ "New Law in Israel Would Ban Tobacco Advertisements". The Algemeiner. 25 June 2018.
  59. ^ Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy (15 June 2015). "Litzman opposes ban on tobacco adverts that feature in Hassidic newspapers". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  60. ^ Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy (21 March 2017). "MKs blast Litzman for allegedly protecting tobacco giant Philip Morris". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  61. ^ Linder, Ronny (7 January 2020). "Why Israel Banned Tobacco Ads, but Not in Print". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020.
  62. ^ Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy (10 May 2018). "NGO demands immediate probe into Litzman's behavior over smoking". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  63. ^ Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy (8 May 2018). "Comptroller blasts Health Ministry for poor management under Litzman". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  64. ^ Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy (10 January 2018). "Preliminary Knesset reading bars tobacco ads on web, but not newspapers". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  65. ^ "איך השר ליצמן מקל על חברות הטבק?". mako (in Hebrew). 11 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  66. ^ Landau, Noa (29 December 2019). "Netanyahu Appointing Minister Suspected of Aiding Malka Leifer Is 'Slap in the Face,' Says Top Australian Jewish Official". Haaretz. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  67. ^ "Israeli minister suspected of obstruction in Malka Leifer case". Australian Associated Press. 15 February 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
  68. ^ Wootliff, Raoul; Magid, Jacob (7 August 2019). "Police recommend Litzman stand trial for bribery, aiding alleged pedophile". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  69. ^ "AG to indict Litzman for obstruction of justice, breach of trust in Leifer case". The Times of Israel. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  70. ^ "United Hatzalah head, hospitalized with COVID-19, berates 'evil' health minister". The Times of Israel. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
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