MK Avi Maoz (Noam) announced on Monday that he will be resigning as a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. In a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Maoz accuses the "deep state" of taking over the Education and Justice Ministries and claims that the coalition agreement that he signed was violated. Maoz, who ran on an ultra-conservative platform centered on promoting Orthodox Jewish values, opposing LGBT rights and secular influences, and rejecting religious pluralism and progressive social reforms, was given control of the external programs in the Education Ministry in the coalition agreements. He claims that "pressure from the deep state on the Ministry of Education and Education Minister" led to the violation of the agreement. In addition, he said that an alternative agreement to create a system of transparency for parents regarding the external programs would not get off the ground. Additionally, Maoz claims that the coalition agreement for funding for the "Torani" (ultra-religious) Zionist education system to be equal to that of the general education system was not met. Likewise, he says that warnings to the Prime Minister regarding "dangerous processes" in the Shin Bet where discussions were allegedly held regarding a plan to "protect the foundations of democracy" from the government and Knesset, were ignored. "When the Cabinet Secretary and the Education Minister informed me that this clause will also not be fulfilled and in fact, nearly none of the clauses from the coalition agreement were fulfilled, I will continue to fight with all my strength for the education of all of Israel's children, for more Judaism, more tradition, and more nationalism and Zionism, as a regular member of Israel's Knesset." He noted that the Knesset would work to advance "a war against the deep state in the Education Ministry." Maoz stated after his resignation: "Already during the coalition negotiations I spoke with the Prime Minister about how deep the deep state has spread, in all institutions in general and particularly in the Education Ministry. Unfortunately, almost all the tools that they promised to give me were not provided. I will continue to work to strengthen the country's Jewish identity as a regular member of the Knesset." Avi Maoz's resignation letter
