Cabinet expected to authorize Liberman as foreign minister

Gal-On makes last-ditch effort to prevent appointment, saying it is "a danger to the State of Israel and its foreign relations."

By LAHAV HARKOV
Liberman leaving court 370 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
Liberman leaving court 370
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
The government is expected to on Sunday authorize Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman’s appointment as foreign minister.
Meanwhile, Meretz chairwoman Zehava Gal-On made a last-ditch effort to stop the move, calling for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu not to appoint Liberman as foreign minister.
“Liberman’s appointment is a danger to the State of Israel and its foreign relations, especially in a time of crisis in peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” Gal-On said, referring to Liberman’s hawkish positions and outspoken distrust of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to Gal-On, “Liberman is a persona non grata around the world, who, during his time as foreign minister, turned Israel into an outcast state. His appointment to the job will worsen Israel’s shaky relations with its allies and worsen its situation in the international community.”
On Thursday, the day after Liberman’s acquittal on corruption charges, the government added his nomination as a minister to the agenda for Sunday’s meeting.
If all goes as planned, Liberman will be sworn in to the role at the Knesset on Monday.
Also on Sunday, Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin will be fired, as he is Netanyahu’s deputy in his capacity as foreign minister. Whether he will be reappointed remains to be seen, as he is a contender, along with several other MKs from the Likud and one from Yesh Atid, to replace Liberman as chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.