Fellow Likud parliamentarian Israel Katz was given the option of replacing Cohen during the second half of the incoming government’s term, but has yet to accept the offer.

By JNS

Likud Party lawmaker Eli Cohen has been appointed as Israel’s next foreign minister, Israeli media reported on Thursday.

Fellow Knesset member Israel Katz was given the option of replacing Cohen during the second half of the incoming government’s term, but has yet to accept the offer, according to the reports.

Incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been widely expected to name Katz and former Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer to the position, on a rotational basis. However, Netanyahu reportedly made a last-minute switch, informing Katz on Wednesday evening, prompting the latter to walk out irate.

Dermer has instead been named strategic affairs minister.

Cohen previously served as intelligence and economy minister, and was a member of the high-level security cabinet.

For his part, Katz was Jerusalem’s top diplomat between 2019 and 2021, and also held the agriculture, transportation, finance and intelligence portfolios.

Israel’s 37th government will be sworn in later on Thursday.It is the sixth government Benjamin Netanyahu will head.

List of ministers in Netanyahu’s government

1. Prime Minister / Benjamin Netanyahu / Likud
2. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Health, Minister of the Interior and Periphery / Aryeh Deri / Shas
3. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development / Avi Dichter / Likud
4. Minister of Aliyah and Integration / Ofir Sofer / Religious Zionist
5. Minister of Communications / Shlomo Karhi / Likud
6. Minister of Housing and Construction / Yitzhak Goldknopf / United Torah Judaism (UTJ)
7. Minister of Culture and Sport / Miki Zohar / Likud
8. Minister of Defense / Yoav Galant / Likud
9. Minister for Negev, Galilee, Minister for National Resilience / Yitzhak Wasserlauf / Otzma Yehudit
10. Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Minister for Social Equality / Amichai Chikli / Likud
11. Minister of the Economy / Nir Barkat / Likud
12. Minister of Regional Cooperation, Minister of Education / Yoav Kisch / Likud
13. Minister in the Education Ministry / Haim Biton / Shas
14. Minister of Environmental Protection / Idit Silman / Likud
15. Minister of Finance, Minister in the Defense Ministry / Bezalel Smotrich / Religious Zionist
16. Minister of Foreign Affairs / Eli Cohen / Likud
17. Minister of Heritage / Amihai Eliyahu / Otzma Yehudit
18. Minister of Strategic Affairs / Ron Dermer
19. Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition / Meir Porush / UTJ
20. Minister of Justice / Yariv Levin / Likud
21. Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services / Ya’akov Margi / Shas
22. Minister in the Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services Ministry / Yoav Ben-Tzur / Shas
23. Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water / Israel Katz / Likud
24. Minister of National Missions / Orit Strook / Religious Zionist
25. Minister of National Security / Itamar Ben-Gvir / Otzma Yehudit
26. Minister of Religious Affairs / Michael Malchieli / Shas
27. Minister of Science and Technology / Ofir Akunis / Likud
28. Minister of Tourism / Haim Katz / Likud
29. Minister of Transportation / Miri Regev / Likud