Deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely will be appointed Israel’s next Diaspora affairs minister next week after receiving a promise from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff Asher Hayon, Likud sources told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday night.
Hotovely, who speaks fluent English, has been deputy foreign minister for four years and served as an emissary in Atlanta. She has been an MK for more than a decade.
Netanyahu currently holds the portfolio. But Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit said he must give up all his portfolios by the end of the year, because of his criminal indictments. He is waiting until after Thursday’s Likud leadership primary to give up the posts.
The Agriculture portfolio is expected to go to Likud MK Nir Barkat, who has proven his loyalty to Netanyahu in recent months.
The Welfare portfolio is set to be given to Shas leader Arye Deri. Deputy health minister Yaakov Litzman will be promoted to health minister.