https://sputnikglobe.com/20231229/israels-foreign-policy-unlikely-to-change-after-ministerial-rotation-1115870195.html
Israel's Foreign Policy Unlikely to Change After Ministerial Rotation
Israel's Foreign Policy Unlikely to Change After Ministerial Rotation
Sputnik International
The upcoming rotation in the Israeli government is unlikely to have implications for the country's international relations, Israeli experts told Sputnik as the top diplomat, Eli Cohen, is about to be replaced by Israel Katz, the current energy minister.
2023-12-29T05:36+0000
2023-12-29T05:36+0000
2023-12-29T05:44+0000
analysis
israel
benjamin netanyahu
foreign policy
knesset
israel katz
eli cohen
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According to the local media citing sources, the rotation between the ministers is slated to be finalized by the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on December 31. "I don't think there will be any change in Israel foreign relations as a result of this change," Zaki Shalom, who is a professor emeritus at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, told Sputnik, adding that the rotation was agreed upon at the start of the current government. "Eli Cohen won a great success at the primaries of the Likud party. Therefore, he was promised to become the foreign minister. Yisrael Kutz was not that successful. However, he is a very powerful minister and the leader figure in the party," he explained. According to Zeev Khanin, an Israeli political expert at the Department of Political Studies in Bar-Ilan University Ramat-Gan, Israel's government is obliged to comply with the previously agreed upon "rules of the game." He told Sputnik that the change in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had to do more with the situation within the ruling Likud party rather than with Israel’s foreign policy. Khanin also pointed out that, at the moment, only a small group of officials also known as the war cabinet play a key role in determining the country's political and foreign policy course. It consists of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and minister without portfolio Benny Gantz. "We have the war cabinet. Ministers perform rather technical functions. These days, the civil society, some Knesset committees, and the war cabinet are more powerful institutions," Khanin said, adding that he saw nothing wrong with this. "This is the reality we are living in. Questions that we were interested in before October 7, such as which minister will take the post and what budget he will get - are less relevant at the moment," the expert added. Both experts agreed, however, that the top diplomat post was, nevertheless, desirable because it could pave the way to becoming prime minister in the future. "So both wanted the position of the foreign minister because they know well that this would give them a great credit to replace Netanyahu if and when he would leave office. You cannot be a prime minister without this diplomatic title," Zaki Shalom said. The expert pointed that Cohen's tenure had been marked by significant initiatives, including a proposal to fast-track the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza through a maritime corridor from Cyprus to "bolster stability in the region." At the same time, at a meeting with Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts on December 13, Cohen said that Israel would continue the Gaza operation "with or without international support," pointing that a ceasefire in Gaza would be a gift to Hamas, and would allow it to return and threaten the residents of Israel. Shalom added that Katz's role in managing Israel’s energy and infrastructure resources has also been noteworthy.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231224/us-resolve-to-give-israel-license-in-gaza-war-will-hurt-it-long-term---analyst-1115780446.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231220/israel-not-prepared-to-face-houthi-gaza-deployment---however-rhetorical-the-threat-1115711320.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231220/journo-us-israel-in-quagmire-as-yemen-expands-gaza-war-into-regional-conflict-1115707682.html
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israel, israel foreign policy, israel rotations, eli cohen, cohen katz
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Israel's Foreign Policy Unlikely to Change After Ministerial Rotation
05:36 GMT 29.12.2023 (Updated: 05:44 GMT 29.12.2023) ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Sputnik) - The upcoming rotation in the Israeli government is unlikely to have implications for the country's international relations, Israeli experts told Sputnik as the top diplomat, Eli Cohen, is about to be replaced by Israel Katz, the current energy minister.
According to the local media citing sources, the rotation between the ministers is slated to be finalized by the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on December 31.
"I don't think there will be any change in Israel foreign relations as a result of this change," Zaki Shalom, who is a professor emeritus at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, told Sputnik, adding that the rotation was agreed upon at the start of the current government.
"Eli Cohen won a great success at the primaries of the Likud party. Therefore, he was promised to become the foreign minister. Yisrael Kutz was not that successful. However, he is a very powerful minister and the leader figure in the party," he explained.
24 December 2023, 10:20 GMT
According to Zeev Khanin, an Israeli political expert at the Department of Political Studies in Bar-Ilan University Ramat-Gan, Israel's government is obliged to comply with the previously agreed upon "rules of the game." He told Sputnik that the change in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had to do more
with the situation within the ruling Likud party rather than with Israel’s foreign policy.
Khanin also pointed out that, at the moment, only a small group of officials also known as the war cabinet play a key role in determining the country's political and foreign policy course. It consists of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and minister without portfolio Benny Gantz.
"We have the war cabinet. Ministers perform rather technical functions. These days, the civil society, some Knesset committees, and the war cabinet are more powerful institutions," Khanin said, adding that he saw nothing wrong with this.
20 December 2023, 22:02 GMT
"This is the reality we are living in. Questions that we were interested in before October 7, such as which minister will take the post and what budget he will get - are less relevant at the moment," the expert added.
Both experts agreed, however, that the top diplomat post was, nevertheless, desirable because it could pave the way to becoming prime minister in the future.
"So both wanted the position of the foreign minister because they know well that this would give them a great credit to replace Netanyahu if and when he would leave office. You cannot be a prime minister without this diplomatic title," Zaki Shalom said.
The expert pointed that Cohen's tenure had been marked by significant initiatives, including a proposal to fast-track the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza through a maritime corridor from Cyprus to "
bolster stability in the region."
20 December 2023, 17:40 GMT
At the same time, at a meeting with Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts on December 13, Cohen said that Israel would continue the Gaza operation "with or without international support," pointing that a ceasefire in Gaza would be a gift to Hamas, and would allow it to return and threaten the residents of Israel.
Shalom added that Katz's role in managing Israel’s energy and infrastructure resources has also been noteworthy.
