Netanyahu chooses new defense minister

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, March 17 chose Likud MK and former IDF chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon to be Israel's next defense minister. Danny Danon was appointed as deputy defense minister, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Outgoing Environmental Protection Minister, Gilad Erdan, has accepted the Home Front Security and Communications portfolios. As Communications Minister, Erdan will be in charge of the Israel Broadcast Agency and the Government Publications Bureau. He will also be responsible for the strategic relationship with the U.S.

Ofir Akunis was appointed Deputy Minister Connecting the Government and the Knesset, while Tzachi Hanegbi will head the Knesset House Committee for a year and a half. When Hanegbi becomes a Deputy Minister, he will trade positions with Akunis.

Outgoing Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, who is being replaced by key coalition partner Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid, will be moving to the Strategic Affairs Ministry.

Outgoing Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar is the leading candidate for interior minister, and MK Yariv Levin was asked to be the next coalition chairman, but has yet to accept the position. Former coalition chairman Ze’ev Elkin is likely to be deputy foreign minister, at the insistence of former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman, who will return to his previous position if he is exonerated in his corruption trial.