Netanyahu resigns from ministerial positions

The embattled Israeli leader he resigned from all posts except for his position as prime minister.

By World Israel News Staff

In addition to serving as prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has also held the positions of minister for social welfare, diaspora affairs, and agriculture. On Wednesday night, he resigned from all posts except for his position as prime minister.

Netanyahu is expected to announce his replacements at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.

According to reports, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely is expected to land the diaspora affairs post after allegedly receiving a promise from Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Asher Hayon. Either Likud MK David Bitan or former Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat are expected to take the agriculture job, and MK Meshulam Nahari from the Shas party is the most likely candidate to take up the welfare minister position.

Netanyahu also held the position of health minister before promoting  Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman to the post earlier in the week.

On Nov. 21,  Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit indicted  Netanyahu for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three corruption cases.

Following that announcement, the Israeli NGO Movement for Quality Government launched a petition to the Supreme Court demanding that Netanyahu resign as prime minister and all other ministerial positions.

However, according to Israeli law, it is only forbidden for an individual indicted to hold ministerial positions, but not the prime minister post.

Netanyahu announced his resignation a few hours after he announced that he would seek immunity from the corruption charges levied against him.

By requesting immunity from corruption charges, any potential trial is put on hold until after elections in March, when Netanyahu hopes to win a majority coalition that would rule favorably on the immunity request, shielding him from prosecution.