Meir Porush

Ultra-Orthodox paper calls for 'war' on government amid IDF conscription tensions

The Yated Ne’eman newspaper is affiliated with the haredi Lithuanian faction, Degel Hatorah, which forms part of the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party.  

|ByKESHET NEEV
A haredi (ultra-Orthodox) man reads a newspaper.
JERUSALEM AFFAIRS and Jewish Tradition Minister Meir Porush addresses the Knesset plenum.

Multitasking haredi politicians: One hand writes the laws, the other undermines them - opinion

Since the early days of Israel, an internal debate has taken place within the ultra-Orthodox community over whether it is possible to cooperate with the Zionist state and benefit from its resources.

|ByELIYAHU BERKOVITS
Finance Minister and Head of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, February 3, 2025.

Porush, Smotrich spar over haredi draft law

"We will not agree to any further delay in passing the budget. The budget will not be held hostage by the legislation of the [haredi] conscription law,” Smotrich said.

|ByELIAV BREUER
Families of the hostages held in Gaza call for new elections, March 30, 2024.

Minister Porush implores UN envoy to deliver matzah and wine to hostages in Gaza

Neither the UN nor any international humanitarian aid agency has visited the hostages or provided them with any food or medicine since their abduction into Gaza on October 7.

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Grapevine: Nice news

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2023ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
MK Meir Porush arrives to coalition talks at the Likud headquarters in Tel Aviv on November 10, 2022.

Gov't approves budget for plan to facilitate Israelis traveling to Uman

The government emphasized the fact that the plan was being set in motion to avoid a crisis like last year that left many stuck for hours or even a day on Ukraine's border.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023ByARIELLA MARSDEN
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish pilgrims pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov during the celebration of Rosh Hashanah holiday, the Jewish New Year, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Uman, Ukraine, September 25, 2022.

Could tense Israel-Ukraine relations cause a humanitarian crisis in Uman?

Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition Minister Meir Porush has appealed to the prime minister to help avoid a humanitarian crisis in Uman.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023ByARIELLA MARSDEN
MK Meir Porush arrives to coalition talks at the Likud headquarters in Tel Aviv on November 10, 2022.

Abusing power to help predators - opinion

It was not only the fake mental illness in the courtroom that was hindering justice. 

SEPTEMBER 3, 2023ByDANIEL GOLDMAN
JERUSALEM AND Jewish Heritage Minister Meir Porush arrives for a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office. He says he was just ‘helping a hassid visit his rebbe.’

Gov't approves 3b. for public infrastructure, education in east Jerusalem

NGOs advocating for east Jerusalem residents welcomed the progress made, but stressed further work is needed.

AUGUST 20, 2023ByTROY O. FRITZHAND
Wadi al-Joz in east Jerusalem

Ukraine envoy meets Jerusalem minister to talk Uman pilgrimages

Meir Porush asked for the ambassador to help facilitate the entry of thousands of Hassidic Jews into war-torn Ukraine to visit Uman.

JULY 31, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition Minister Meir Porush is seen meeting with Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel Yevgeny Kornichuk to discuss pilgrimages to Uman.

UTJ threatens to boycott coalition votes over ministry budget demand

The threat is the latest in a series of incidents of infighting and threats to not vote with the coalition made since the coalition was formed.

JUNE 20, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Ultra-Orthodox UTJ MKs Meir Porush (L), Moshe Gafni and Ariel Atias (R) seen in the Knesset on February 18

Israel will invest NIS 5 billion in east Jerusalem - Meir Porush

The Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition minister stated that he aims to serve all the residents of Jerusalem and stressed the importance of Jerusalem as a city of peace.

JUNE 5, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition Minister Meir Porush at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in New York, June 5, 2023.

Accountant-general blocks UTJ plan of Shavuot bonus for only hassidim

The plan would give special grants to hassidic groups who host large events on Shavuot.

MAY 22, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
THOUSANDS OF Belz Hassidim take part in the wedding ceremony of the Belz Rebbe’s grandson, in Jerusalem, 2018.

Draft and Deri laws create growing rift between Netanyahu, haredim

According to the coalition agreements, the issue of haredi conscription needs to be resolved by the time the budget passes.

MAY 4, 2023ByELIAV BREUER
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shas chairman Aryeh Deri.

Israeli gov't will collapse without new IDF draft bill, top haredi minister warns

UTJ chairman and minister Yitzhak Goldknopf failed to provide a deadline for the re-negotiation of the haredi draft bill.

MAY 3, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
LIKUD LEADER BENJAMIN Netanyahu shakes hands with United Torah Judaism MK Yitzhak Goldknopf in the Knesset last week. If Netanyahu’s promise of a full budget for all haredi educational institutions is realized, the already-low incentive to provide core studies will disappear entirely.