JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's prime minister has appointed an interim foreign minister after holding the post himself for the last four years.

Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that Transportation Minister Israel Katz would serve as foreign minister until the formation of a new government after April elections.

A good governance group petitioned Israel's Supreme Court against Netanyahu's multitude of roles after he took over the defense minister's portfolio following his resignation late last year. Netanyahu also serves as Israel's health minister.

Katz recently finished first among serving ministers in the ruling Likud party primaries, and the upgrade solidifies his position as Netanyahu's top deputy and potential successor. Katz says he'll run for party chairman and prime minister after Netanyahu retires.</s>JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's prime minister has appointed an interim foreign minister after holding the post himself for the last four years.

Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that Transportation Minister Israel Katz would serve as foreign minister until the formation of a new government after April elections.

A good governance group petitioned Israel's Supreme Court against Netanyahu's multitude of roles after he took over the defense minister's portfolio following his resignation late last year. Netanyahu also serves as Israel's health minister.

Katz recently finished first among serving ministers in the ruling Likud party primaries, and the upgrade solidifies his position as Netanyahu's top deputy and potential successor. Katz says he'll run for party chairman and prime minister after Netanyahu retires.</s>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday he was relinquishing the role of foreign minister and handing it to a right-wing rival from within his Likud party, Israel Katz.

The move comes ahead of April 9 elections and follows court challenges arguing Netanyahu -- who is also health and defence minister -- has taken on too many governmental portfolios.

A Likud spokesman said Netanyahu intended to appoint Katz as acting foreign minister without providing further details.

Katz is currently transportation and intelligence minister and it was unclear whether he would give those roles up.

"Together with the prime minister we will continue to advance and lead Israel's foreign policy to further achievements," Katz said in a statement.

Katz holds right-wing views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has said conditions are not in place now for a two-state solution.

In 2017, he advocated a plan that critics said would amount to de facto annexation of a number of Jewish settlements surrounding Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank. The proposal was shelved.

He has spoken of ideas such as building an island off the Gaza Strip to provide the blockaded Palestinian enclave with infrastructure including electricity and clean water.

Katz also promotes a plan for a railway linking Gulf states to the Mediterranean via Israel as part of a bid to normalise relations with Arab countries that currently do not have formal ties with the Jewish state.

Netanyahu's choice of Katz was seen by a number of analysts as part of political manoeuvring ahead of the April 9 polls.

Katz, 63, is a senior Likud member and wields influence within the party. He has spoken of his ambition to be prime minister, but has no current plans to challenge Netanyahu.

The foreign minister portfolio is viewed as more prestigious and high-profile than Katz's current roles.

Polls suggest Netanyahu is on track to win the elections despite a series of corruption investigations against him.

The attorney general is expected to announce in the coming weeks whether he intends to indict the prime minister.

An announcement on indictments before the polls could shake up the campaign.

Netanyahu, 69, has been prime minister for a total of nearly 13 years.</s>The URL has been copied to your clipboard

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interviewed Thursday by VOA Persian in Warsaw, where he discussed Israel's outreach to Arab countries and the Iran nuclear deal. Netanyahu was in Warsaw in connection with a U.S.-led conference on Mideast security.</s>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday he was relinquishing the role of foreign minister and handing it to a right-wing rival from within his Likud party, Israel Katz.

The move comes ahead of April 9 elections and follows court challenges arguing Netanyahu -- who is also health and defence minister -- has taken on too many governmental portfolios.

A Likud spokesman said Netanyahu intended to appoint Katz in a brief statement.

Katz is currently transportation and intelligence minister and it was unclear whether he would give those roles up.

He holds right-wing views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has said conditions are not in place now for a two-state solution.

In 2017, he advocated a plan that critics said would amount to de facto annexation of a number of Jewish settlements surrounding Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank. The proposal was shelved.

He has also spoken of ideas such as building an island off the Gaza Strip to provide the blockaded Palestinian enclave with infrastructure such as electricity and clean water.

Katz also promotes a plan for a railway linking Gulf states to the Mediterranean via Israel as part of a bid to normalise relations with Arab countries that currently do not have formal ties with the Jewish state.

Netanyahu's choice of Katz was seen by a number of analysts as part of political manoeuvring ahead of the April 9 polls.

Katz, 63, is a senior Likud member and wields influence within the party. He has spoken of his ambition to be prime minister, but has no current plans to challenge Netanyahu.

The foreign minister portfolio is viewed as more prestigious and high-profile than Katz's current roles.

Polls suggest Netanyahu is on track to win the elections despite a series of corruption investigations against him.

The attorney general is expected to announce in the coming weeks whether he intends to indict the prime minister.

An announcement on indictments before the polls could shake up the campaign.

Netanyahu, 69, has been prime minister for a total of nearly 13 years.</s>A comparison of a speech delivered by electoral hopeful Benny Gantz on Sunday and one given by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a few months ago has revealed a series of surprising similarities.

“Spot the differences: Did Gantz copy Netanyahu?” read the headline Monday on Channel 12 news, as it played back sound bites from Gantz’s speech, his first in English, at a security conference in Munich, with corresponding ones from Netanyahu in an address at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Gantz: “Many in the Arab world have realized that Israel is not part of the problem, but part of the solution.”

 Netanyahu: “Many other states in the region recognize that Israel is not their enemy, they recognize that Israel is their ally.”

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Gantz: “I lost many of my friends, I have witnessed the horror of war.”

 Netanyahu: “I was nearly killed in battle, I lost many friends.”

Gantz: “Terror strikes in Baghdad, Paris.”

 Netanyahu: “It runs through Paris and Nice, Brussels and Baghdad.”

Gantz: “… and New York.”

 Netanyahu: “…Minnesota and New York.”

Gantz: “Iran hates gays, it oppresses women, it (persecutes) minorities and violates human rights.”

 Netanyahu: “…hangs gays, jails journalists, tortures political prisoners and shoots innocent women.”

Gantz: “The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent.”

 Netanyahu: “The light of Israel will never be extinguished.”

In his Munich address, Gantz — a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff who recently formed the Israel Resilience party in a bid to unseat Netanyahu in the April 9 national elections — presented a security and foreign policy doctrine that was hard to distinguish from the prime minister’s.

Pundits interpreted Gantz’s presence at a prominent international forum with many global leaders present as an attempt to show voters that he, like Netanyahu, who often burnishes his strong ties with presidents and prime ministers, can hold his own and promote Israel’s cause on the international stage.

But in his Munich address, Gantz lacked the fluency and strong English delivery that the prime minister possesses, and commentators were quick to pick up on its similarity to well-worn Netanyahu talking points.

In his speech, Gantz came out swinging against Iran, while also hailing Israel’s tech prowess and reaching out to the Jewish state’s Arab neighbors.

He also said that while he has many disagreements with Netanyahu, the two saw eye-to-eye on security.

“It is no secret that Prime Minister Netanyahu is my political rival. We disagree on many issues,” Gantz said. “But make no mistakes – we are both devoted sons of the same nation. When Israel’s security is under threat, there is no daylight between us. On this critical issue there is no right or left. There is no coalition or opposition.”

Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem a few hours before Gantz’s Munich speech, Netanyahu accused his rival of trying to take credit for his own policy on the Iranian nuclear program.

“I stood my ground, and that turned the tide of events and produced a historic pivot,” Netanyahu told ministers. “Now there are all sorts of opportunists trying to take advantage, but the public knows perfectly well how to distinguish true leadership from amateurish impersonation.”

The Israel Resilience party did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</s>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday handed over his role as foreign minister to intelligence minister Israel Katz, giving up the portfolio he has held since 2015.

Netanyahu’s decision to appoint Katz as acting foreign minister came after an advocacy group, the Movement for Quality Government, went to court to press the prime minister to stop serving as foreign minister as well.

Government officials said Katz, who will remain intelligence minister and also serves as transport minister, will hold the foreign affairs portfolio through the upcoming parliamentary election on April 9. [nL8N1YT1E1] Katz is a member of Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party,

In addition to the premiership, Netanyahu still holds the defence portfolio, which he assumed after his former far-right coalition partner Avigdor Lieberman quit that post in November. Netanyahu is also health minister.

The advocacy group that pushed for a new foreign minister had argued that Netanyahu’s workload was untenable and further harmed a foreign ministry beset by budget disputes.

Netanyahu’s defenders have noted his personal rapport with the U.S. and Russian leaders and regular tours abroad.

“Together with the prime minister we will continue to lead the State of Israel’s foreign policy to new achievements,” Katz, 63, said on Twitter.</s>JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's prime minister has appointed an interim foreign minister after holding the post himself for the last four years.

Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that Transportation Minister Israel Katz would serve as foreign minister until the formation of a new government after April elections.

A good governance group petitioned Israel's Supreme Court against Netanyahu's multitude of roles after he took over the defense minister's portfolio following his resignation late last year. Netanyahu also serves as Israel's health minister.

Katz recently finished first among serving ministers in the ruling Likud party primaries, and the upgrade solidifies his position as Netanyahu's top deputy and potential successor. Katz says he'll run for party chairman and prime minister after Netanyahu retires.</s>JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday (Feb 17) he was relinquishing the role of foreign minister and handing it to a right-wing rival from within his Likud party, Israel Katz.

The move comes ahead of April 9 elections and follows court challenges arguing Mr Netanyahu - who is also health and defence minister - has taken on too many governmental portfolios.

A Likud spokesman said Mr Netanyahu intended to appoint Mr Katz as acting foreign minister without providing further details.

Mr Katz is currently transportation and intelligence minister and it was unclear whether he would give those roles up.

“Together with the prime minister we will continue to advance and lead Israel’s foreign policy to further achievements,” Mr Katz said in a statement.

Mr Katz holds right-wing views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has said conditions are not in place now for a two-state solution.

In 2017, he advocated a plan that critics said would amount to de facto annexation of a number of Jewish settlements surrounding Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank. The proposal was shelved.

He has also spoken of ideas such as building an island off the Gaza Strip to provide the blockaded Palestinian enclave with infrastructure such as electricity and clean water.

Mr Katz also promotes a plan for a railway linking Gulf states to the Mediterranean via Israel as part of a bid to normalise relations with Arab countries that currently do not have formal ties with the Jewish state.

Mr Netanyahu's choice of Mr Katz was seen by a number of analysts as part of political manoeuvring ahead of the April 9 polls.

Mr Katz, 63, is a senior Likud member and wields influence within the party. He has spoken of his ambition to be prime minister, but has no current plans to challenge Mr Netanyahu.

The foreign minister portfolio is viewed as more prestigious and high-profile than Mr Katz's current roles.

Polls suggest Mr Netanyahu is on track to win the elections despite a series of corruption investigations against him.

The Attorney-General is expected to announce in the coming weeks whether he intends to indict the prime minister.

An announcement on indictments before the polls could shake up the campaign.

Mr Netanyahu, 69, has been prime minister for a total of nearly 13 years.</s>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a "secret meeting" with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita last September, according to Israeli media on Monday.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where they discussed normalizing ties between Israel and Morocco, Israeli Channel 13 reported.

"Netanyahu also mentioned that he was intending to visit Morocco publicly," the channel quoted an Israeli official as saying. 

 Israel and Morocco don't have diplomatic relations.

According to the Israeli channel, talks between Netanyahu and Bourita also tackled the Iranian issue.

Netanyahu's office, meanwhile, declined to confirm the meeting had taken place.

"We do not comment on contacts with countries Israel has no formal relations with," it said.

There was no comment from Moroccan authorities on the allegation.

With the exception of Jordan and Egypt, which have signed peace agreements with Israel, no Arab state has official relations with Tel Aviv.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appoints intelligence minister Israel Katz to take over the foreign minister portfolio. Netanyahu retains his defence minister and health minister roles. Israel's parliamentary elections are scheduled for 9 April 2019.