Israel's Foreign Ministry is in disarray: It
has no minister, a deputy minister without clear powers, no involvement
in talks with the Palestinians, and no say in Israel-U.S. strategic
dialogue • Oh, and now there's a new Ministry for International
Relations.
FROZEN OUT? The Foreign
Ministry in Jerusalem. [Archive]
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Photo credit: Contact |
Senior Foreign Ministry officials have harshly
criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over "dismantling the
ministry, removing its assets, leaving it without a minister, and
installing a political appointment as deputy minister."
The criticism comes as Netanyahu has vowed to
keep the foreign minister's portfolio for his senior political partner,
Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Lieberman, until the latter's legal
situation clears up. Lieberman is facing charges of breach of trust.
Netanyahu is currently acting as caretaker
foreign minister. Officials in the ministry, which has seen serious
austerity measures over the past few years and has cut back on dozens of
missions worldwide, have also criticized Netanyahu's placing of Hatnuah
party leader Tzipi Livni in charge of a team of ministers that will
handle talks with the Palestinians — without the involvement of the
Foreign Ministry.
In addition, Netanyahu has shifted the
apparatus of the strategic dialogue with the U.S. out of the ministry,
and given it instead to Dr. Yuval Steinitz, who has been appointed
Minister for International Relations. The new ministry is a combination
of the two ministries from the previous government of Intelligence and
Atomic Energy and Strategic Affairs. According to some reports,
Communications Minister Gilad Erdan will also run the strategic
dialogue.
The ire of the Foreign Ministry officials is
also being raised by Netanyahu's appointment of MK Ze'ev Elkin as deputy
foreign minister. It is still unclear what powers Elkin will have, and
if he will be the de facto minister of foreign affairs with full powers,
or if his position is symbolic and in name only.
One problem with Elkin's appointment is that
foreign governments act according to protocols under which it is not
appropriate or respectful for a visiting foreign affairs minister to be
hosted by a deputy minister.
"It is doubtful that the prime minister, as
acting foreign minister, will meet with every foreign minister who
arrives, or with other senior ministers who come to visit. The ministry
has been sold out," a senior Foreign Ministry source told Israel Hayom.
"The Foreign Ministry has been turned into a
travel agency and the embassy in Washington into a hotel booking
service," the source said.
The Prime Minister's Office refused to comment.
However, Elkin's associates rejected the
criticisms, saying that over the past several years peace talks with the
Palestinians and the Israel-U.S. strategic dialogue have not been run
from the Foreign Ministry. Elkin's associates said he would iron out his
powers with Netanyahu, who is acting as caretaker foreign minister.
Elkin's appointment did receive some support
from the Foreign Ministry's workers' union, which on Sunday met with the
head of the wages division in the Finance Ministry in an attempt to
settle the wage dispute currently roiling the ministry.
The Foreign Ministry labor dispute encompasses all the ministry's employees.
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