Over the last few days there has been a little bit of minor drama in the Foreign Ministry, but I don't remember seeing anything more Israeli than the conclusion of this little drama. 

This is the "changing of the guard" ceremony at the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, as Minister Tzippi Hotoveli hands off the ministry to the new minister, Minister Omer Yankelevitch.

Neither looks like the "typical" minister from the Likud or Kachol Lavan parties, if there is such a thing as typical. Maybe "expected" is a better word.

Best of luck to both of them in their new positions...

havent heard much from her in a long time...

The Likud is a home to the Haredi public as well. We have here a mass movement of educated women - it cannot be that they will not take your positions into account when it comes to the ballot box, you need to be represented... You need to build political power that will allow you to enter the large parties. I am in favor of the political strength growing from the bottom. Don't wait for them to open the door for you..

  -- Deputy Foreign Minister Tzippi Hotoveli, speaking at a conference of religious and Haredi businesswomen...

Hotoveli is telling the frum women that they should not wait or expect the Haredi parties to represent them on the issues they are concerned about, nor to integrate them into the Haredi political structure. Basically the Haredi woman remains without representation. Taxation without representation. Hotoveli is encouraging them to find a political home in the larger parties and grow a political base within the general parties instead of in the haredi parties.

Some will say in response that they are perfectly happy with the Haredi parties and all they care about from the government is dealing with issues such as money for yeshivas, yeshiva student exemptions from the IDF draft, increased shabbos observance and the other issues the Haredi parties deal with..and thy are not looking to get into politics or anything like that.

Others will ignore the issue, not wanting to start trouble even if they agree with the thought and idea.

Others will agree. That is how we get the increased phenomenon of Omer Yankelovitch running in the Blue and White party (Gantz-Lapid), Adina Bar Shalom starting a party, and a trickle of others. And the Haredi parties will blast them and attack them, so any women going that route will need a thick skin - and possibly the willingness to find new schools for their kids.

Either way, however many in the audience and general public agree or disagree with Hotoveli's sentiments, the Likud is clearly targeting new audiences. Their political partners will not be happy with this...

According to INN, Habayit Hayehudi has approached Tzippi Hotovely and offered her the position of Chairman/Chairwoman of the party. She would be numero uno on the Habayit Hayehudi list.

Hotovely refused the offer. She said her place is in the Likud, as is the place of all religious Zionists...

While I admire her loyalty to the Likud and her lack of desire to jump between parties and possibly end up looking like the other Tzippi, Tzippi Livni, sadly I think this decision might mean the end of her Knesset career.

I don't make predictions, and I do not know how Tzippi Hotovely will do in the upcoming Likud primaries, nor do I know how well the Likud will do in the upcoming general elections.. but I do know that we have hardly heard from Tzippi Hotovely in this past Knesset term. At least I haven't. What has she done? What has she been involved in? When she entered politics, she came in with a strong voice and got herself elected to two Knesset terms, but I haven't really noticed her or her activities in a few years now... The Likud has a crowded field f quality candidates. If she hasn't done anything to stand out from the rest, her chances of election will be slim, unless she somehow qualifies for a reserved slot (though as a veteran MK the likelihood of that seems slim, as the reserved slots are usually reserved for new candidates form specific sectors).

So while this decision to stay in the Likud is honorable, it might be the end of her current Knesset career, at least in the current format.

The crisis with Deputy Minister Tzippi Hotoveli over her criticism of American Jewry is what I am calling a manufactured crisis.

What she said is irrelevant. It was not anything so bad or critical nor was it particularly harsh. PM Netanyahu took advantage of an opportunity to come out as a friend of American Jewry after he came out as their enemy in regards to the Kotel arrangements affair.

Netanyahu's other coalition partners have said much worse about non-orthodox American jewry in recent months and Netanyahu did not come to their defense then, did not criticize those who made harsh statements against the Reform and Conservative Jews. It was understandable as had he done so then, he might have lost his government coalition. Tzippi Hotoveli presents no threat to him or to his coalition, so he can feel comfortable criticizing her for it. He could have just as easily ignored it as he has done until now, but this presented an opportunity with no, or very little, downside. Netanyahu manufactured this crisis to his advantage and that's the end of the story.