Hebrew daily “Yediot Ahronot” reports that tourism minister candidate MK Esterina Tartman (Yisrael Beiteinu), who claims to have an MBA, does not have such a degree. The paper says that she attended some courses at Touro College Israel, but did not earn a degree.
Tartman’s biography on the Knesset website has deleted all references to her education. The site had stated that she has “an MBA with a specialization in marketing from Jerusalem”.
“Yediot Ahronot” reports that Yisrael Beiteinu has also revised Tartman’s biography on its website. Whereas it previously stated that she had a BA from Bar Ilan University and an MA in Economics and Marketing from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, it now says that she is “studying for an MBA”.
Meanwhile, the furor about Tartman’s disability is also going strong. She sued an insurance company for loss of work capacity, and was awarded NIS 1.5 million by the court, but is now planning to serve in a ministerial post, which requires full work capacity.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Tourism said that a four-hour workday, which the court approved for Tartman, is not enough to handle the many tasks of the minister, including numerous visits in Israel and other countries. The ministry said that, unlike other ministers, the minister of tourism must have full work capacity and be completely fit.
Ministry of Tourism sources are also worried that the global media will focus more on Tartman’s opinions about the “transfer” (i.e. deporting Israeli Arabs) and less about her health or Israeli tourist sites, which desperately need foreign tourists. Such exposure will not contribute to Israel’s reputation.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on February 27, 2007
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2007