Netanyahu Weighing Rotation for Foreign Minister, Likud MKs Vie for Top Jobs

By Staff, Agencies

The Zionist entity’s Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be weighing a rotation at the Foreign Ministry between a Likud party loyalist and Ron Dermer, a close confidant and a former ‘Israeli’ ambassador to the US, as the expected incoming premier continues to try to cobble together a governing coalition while balancing between his far-right and ultra-Orthodox partners and senior Likud party members for top jobs.

Channel 12 reported Friday that Netanyahu was considering appointing a senior member of the Likud — possibly ‘Israel’ Katz, though Amir Ohana has also been floated as an option — for the first two years of an expected four-year term as foreign minister, followed by Dermer for the following two years.

Meanwhile, senior MK Miri Regev is possibly headed to the Education Ministry, according to the same report, with an extra gig as head of the Ministerial Committee for Symbols and Ceremonies, a position she previously held and reportedly requested again.

At the same time, Netanyahu has reportedly been considering offering senior ministerial roles to MKs who have either made moves against his leadership recently or have been perceived as doing so, to neutralize the threat within the party’s ranks. These include Likud MKs David Amsalem, David Bitan, Yuli Edelstein and Katz.

According to a Ynet report on Thursday, Amsalem is a leading candidate for the position of Knesset speaker.

Other senior Likud MKs being considered for the position include Ohana, Yoav Kisch, Danny Danon and Ofir Akunis, according to the Ynet report.

Netanyahu is also reportedly considering Likud MK Yariv Levin as ‘justice’ minister and Likud MK Yoav Galant as war minister.

Netanyahu’s 28-day mandate to assemble a government expires at midnight on Sunday night. On Thursday, Netanyahu formally asked the Zionist regime’s chief Isaac Herzog for the maximum extension of two weeks to finish forming a government, saying that the complexity of cobbling together a coalition required extra time. The request was granted Friday.

Netanyahu has faced criticism from several senior lawmakers within his party in recent weeks for handing over a number of key cabinet portfolios to other parties in his bloc rather than keeping them within the faction. Additionally, the potential appointment of Dermer as foreign minister has been contested by Likud members.

The Likud has coalition agreements with Otzma Yehudit that will see extremist lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir appointed ‘national security’ minister with an expanded portfolio that covers the Zionist police force and the Border Police’s West Bank division; Religious Zionism far-right leader Bezalel Smotrich set to become finance minister, empowered with far-reaching powers over civil policy in the West Bank; and Avi Maoz, of the homophobic Noam party, handed oversight over many educational programs.