Israel appoints racist as Tourism Minister

Controversial MK appointed tourism minister

Israel Our Home MK Esterina Tartman to take over portfolio from Isaac Herzog, who will become minister for social affairs. Peace Now: Government should be ashamed of appointing an MK with racist views

Amnon Meranda

Controversial Israel Our Home MK Esterina Tartman will become Israel's next tourism minister, Avigdor Lieberman's faction decided Sunday.

Tartman will take over the portfolio from Labor MK Isaac Herzog who will become the minister for social affairs as part of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government reshuffle.

The left-wing Peace Now movement said the government should be "ashamed" of appointing an MK with "racist views" as tourism minister.

Tartman drew criticism from across the political spectrum last month when she lambasted that Labor leader Amir Peretz's decision to appoint Israeli Arab Labor MK Raleb Majadle as science, sports and culture minister, terming it "a lethal blow to Zionism."

Asked whether Tartman would get along with Majadele after slamming his appointment, Lieberman replied, " They will get along great."

Tartman said, "I have no personal problem with Raleb or with anyone else, even not with (Defense Minister) Amir Peretz . I am protesting methods of cynical use for political needs."

"The new minister will not bring new tourists to visit the country, and will reveal Israel's ugly face to the world," said Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer.

'A sad day for Israeli politics'

MK Ahmad Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al) said that "the appointment is a blow to sanity and tolerance. The government has become a refuge for racists,” Tibi said.

MK Avshalom Vilan (Meretz) said that "this is a sad day for Israeli politics, when racism enters the government table from the front door. Let's hope she doesn’t cause potential tourists to flee."

The hawkish faction also elected MK Stas Misezhnikov to chair the powerful Knesset Finance Committee.

Olmert allotted this chairmanship to Israel Our Home after coalition talks with United Torah Judaism collapsed, denying UTJ MK Yakov Litzman a second term as committee chairman.

Tartman beat her colleague MK Israel Hasson to the tourism post in a vote held by her party faction on Sunday.