The Media Line: 8 Ministries Consolidated Under 2 Senior Ministers as Draft Law Breakthrough Reshapes Israel’s Political Map 

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8 Ministries Consolidated Under 2 Senior Ministers as Draft Law Breakthrough Reshapes Israel’s Political Map  

By Gabriel Colodro/The Media Line  

Israel’s political system moved into a new phase after the Israeli parliament confirmed a set of permanent ministerial appointments that place eight ministries in the hands of just two senior ministers. The vote came immediately after what coalition officials described as meaningful progress in negotiations over the long-stalled conscription bill, setting off a rapid rearrangement intended to steady ministries that have been drifting without political leadership for months.   

Under the appointments endorsed in the plenum, Minister Yariv Levin will now head the Labor, Religious Services, and Jerusalem and Jewish Tradition ministries, while continuing to serve as minister of justice and deputy prime minister. Minister Haim Katz was appointed minister of health and minister of welfare and social affairs, in addition to his existing roles as minister of tourism and minister of construction and housing. With these assignments, both ministers now hold four portfolios each.   

The reshuffle is a consequence of the continued absence of Shas and United Torah Judaism, which left the government earlier this year and have insisted they will not fully return until the conscription bill advances through its remaining readings. Their departure left several ministries without political direction, forcing the coalition to appoint permanent replacements rather than keep relying on acting ministers. Levin and Katz have been filling those roles since the ultra-Orthodox resignations in July, which followed the coalition’s failure to advance the draft law.   

According to Israeli media reports, the new appointments reflect a carefully arranged political arrangement meant to preserve the ultra-Orthodox factions’ practical control of the ministries, even while they remain outside the government. Some advisers linked to Shas may lose positions due to staffing adjustments, but most advisory posts are expected to be staffed by the same teams that worked under the Shas ministers. These advisers have continued to operate inside the ministries since the summer. They are widely expected to return to their original positions once the conscription bill is approved and Shas ministers reenter the government.   

Separately, the government used Article 31(b) of the Basic Law: The Government to transfer several authorities from the Interior Ministry directly to the prime minister. The Interior Ministry has lacked political leadership since the ultra-Orthodox resignations, and government officials warned that essential regulatory work was beginning to stall.   

The decision to concentrate eight ministries under two ministers has renewed scrutiny from governance specialists. The Israel Democracy Institute, a well-established policy institute in Jerusalem, cautioned that clustering four full ministries under a single minister raises fundamental questions about administrative capacity and long-term oversight. Researchers noted that each affected ministry carries a heavy regulatory burden, and that such consolidation can make effective supervision difficult.   

For the moment, coalition figures describe the arrangement as a temporary structure meant to keep the system functioning until the conscription bill returns to the plenum.