MK Esterina Tartman (Yisrael Beitenu), the Tourism Minister-designate, does not hold a B.A. degree from Bar Ilan University, despite claims to the contrary in her curriculum vitae. Similarly, there is growing evidence that her claims of holding a graduate degree are also unfounded.

In response to a request for a comment from Haaretz, a spokeswoman for Tartman said that the MK has decided not to respond to any questions on the matter at this time.

Following a report by Yedioth Aharonoth journalists Zvika Brot and Gad Lior saying that Tartman does not have a graduate degree, in spite claims to the contrary on her CV, it now turns out that she also has no B.A. from Bar Ilan.

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The matter was confirmed Tuesday by Bar Ilan spokesman Shmuel Algarbali.

A look at university records dating back to 1977 showed that Tartman was never a registered student nor has she ever completed studies there that would have awarded her a B.A.

It appears that Tartman had taken courses at the Center for In-Service
Training, a private firm specializing in such programs. The courses are not academic and are not part of a B.A. program.

Yisrael Beitenu's Web site states that Tartman holds "a graduate degree in economics and marketing from Hebrew University."

The Knesset Web site states that Tartman holds an MBA with a specialization in management and marketing from the university in Jerusalem, but an inquiry at the university showed that Tartman has never studied at that institution.

Once Yedioth Aharonoth reporters began their probe, the statement on the party's Web site was altered to say that Tartman had undertaken "graduate studies in business administration in Jerusalem."

Tuesday night, the mention of "Jerusalem" was also removed.

Party officials said that one of the activists had made an honest mistake and wrote that Tartman is a graduate of Hebrew University, even though she had never made such claims.

However, it is not only the Yisrael Beitenu activists who erred about
Tartman's academic credentials. In an interview on the Knesset channel, after she was declared the designated tourism minister, Tartman explained the reasons for which she was qualified for the job.

"Every minister needs to be knowledgeable in budgetary issues. I come with a management background ... and a clear background in economics: I have a B.A. in accounting and finance, and an MBA."

Her academic credentials were also mentioned in the trial in which she sued for compensation for damages she suffered during a traffic accident a decade ago. The ruling, which appears to be based on her deposition, states that Tartman studied at Touro College in Jerusalem and received an academic degree with distinction, but does not specify whether this was a bachelor's or graduate degree.

Until recently Touro College was an extension of the New York-based institution and trained students mostly in Judaic studies.

Now the institution is a registered college in Jerusalem under the name of Lander Institute. However it is authorized to grant only B.A. degrees in business administration, and not MBA degrees.

An inquiry with the Council for Higher Learning showed that even when it was operating as Touro College the institution did not offer graduate degrees in business administration.

The Lander Institute refused to respond to Haaretz inquiries into the
matter.

Tartman: Memory, concentration compromised in accident
In an interview with Haaretz correspondent Ari Shavit earlier Tuesday, Tartman confirmed that her long and short-term memory and her powers of concentration are compromised.

Tartman also said that she would propose revoking the citizenship of Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews who refused to sign a declaration of loyalty to the state, and would require those who did, to perform a form of national service.

Tartman has been under growing scrutiny since her party chose her on Sunday to replace Labor cabinet minister Yitzhak Herzog as tourism minister.

One focus of the media glare has been a claim of disability stemming from a 1997 traffic accident. Following the accident, she claimed that she could no longer work more than four hours a day, a suit entitles her to an award of NIS 2.5 million by two insurance companies, plus a monthly stipend of a few thousand shekels from the National Insurance Institute. The NII found that she was 52-percent disabled.

But documents in the case have revealed that shortly after the accident, she was maintaining a busy schedule, including long hours of political activity.

In an interview with Shavit broadcast on the Channel 10, Tartman was asked if the disability claim was accurate, and, if so, how the disability might affect her work as a cabinet minister.

"The problem still exists, but I have acquired skills to deal with it, and to minimize it," she said.

"My level of concentration and my level of memory were harmed," she said. "I have a disability, there are areas of my memory of the past that were affected, I have a problem with long-term and short-term memory."

However, she added, in a reference to her freshman term in the Knesset, "Over the past year has anyone detected this? No. Not because I am not disabled, but because I learned to deal with it."

In the Tuesday interview, Tartman was also asked about her stance with regard to Israeli Arabs. Earlier Tuesday, the Knesset Ethics Committee decided against taking any action against Tartman for a January statement in which she called the appointment of Muslim Arab MK Raleb Majadele to the post of minister as "a lethal blow to Zionism," and said "we must destroy the affliction within us, with God's help, the Holy One blessed be He will help us."

Tartman said Tuesday that "Any citizen who is not loyal to the idea of a Jewish state - his citizenship should be rescinded."

She said she opposed the idea of expelling citizens - whether Arabs or ultra-Orthodox Jews - who refuse to sign a loyalty declaration, rather "to turn their status into one of a resident, without the right to vote or to run for office."

According to Tartman, Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews who do not perform IDF service would be required to do a form of national service.