Isaac Herzog has been chosen as the next chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel to replace Natan Sharansky. This is despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to Herzog's appointment. The Jewish Agency's board of governors, meeting in Jerusalem, confirmed Herzog's selection this morning.
On Thursday, Netanyahu cancelled his participation in his periodical working meeting with the heads of the Jewish Agency. He tried to promote the candidacy of Minister of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Yuval Steinitz, of his own Likud party, for the post, but to no avail. Herzog received an approach from the Jewish Agency nominating committee at the beginning of last week but kept things quiet until the vote. Last Wednesday he was officially notified of the appointment, after nine of the ten members of the committee voted in favor of him.
At the official announcement this morning Herzog spoke of the Jewish Agency as "a narrow bridge that connects the State of Israel and the Jewish people wherever they are" and said that he would seek to work in cooperation with Netanyahu.
The Jewish Agency was the organizing body of the Jewish settlement in then Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel. Its current role is to foster ties between the Jewish people worldwide and Israel. Herzog will be responsible for an annual budget of NIS 1.5 billion, and will be paid a monthly salary of NIS 45,000.
Herzog is currently leader of the opposition in the Knesset. He retained the position after losing the leadership of the Labor Party to Avi Gabbay in 2017, since Gabbay Is not a member of the Knesset.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 24, 2018
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