Replacing Netanyahu, Bitan, Hotovely, Shasha-Biton and Cohen to Be Appointed Ministers

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Sunday a series of appointments to the cabinet for posts that he had to give up due to his criminal indictments.

Netanyahu appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) as Diaspora Affairs Minister, MK David Bitan (Likud) will be Agriculture Minister, Yifat Shasha-Biton (Likud) will be appointed Welfare Minister and Rabbi Yitzchak Cohen (Shas) will be Construction Minister.

Facing a petition to the High Court, Netanyahu last month announced that he would vacate all his portfolios on Jan. 1 asides for his role as prime minister.

Netanyahu was also the Health Minister until last Sunday, when the cabinet approved the promotion of deputy health minister Rabbi Yaakcov Litzman (United Torah Judaism), to the full ministerial power.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel said on Friday that the organization would consider a lawsuit for shaming the court if Netanyahu did not appoint new ministers by Sunday, and thus Netanyahu appointed the new ministers on Sunday.