(TPS) Gilad Erdan will be Israel’s next ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday evening.
Erdan, who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for the Likud party and the Minister of Public Security, will replace Danny Danon, and after the elections in the US, will replace Israel’s ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer as well.
“I am proud and moved by the privilege of struggling for the justice of our cause in the international arena and defending Israel in the face of the expected challenges in the coming years,” Erdan stated.
Netanyahu “thanked Minister Erdan and said he looks forward to their continued cooperation on important missions for the State of Israel in the years ahead.”
Erdan will continue serving as a government minister until his appointment as ambassador is approved by the government.
Erdan’s appointment was made as part of the establishment of the Netanyahu-Benny Gantz government, which is expected to be sworn in on Thursday.
Erdan could be replaced after a year and a half by someone appointed by Gantz, as delineated in the coalition agreement. He may return to Israel to serve as foreign minister.
Erdan was first elected to the Knesset in the 2003 elections. He retained his seat in the 2006 elections despite Likud’s collapse from 40 to 12 seats, after winning fourth place on the list in the party’s primaries. In the party primaries held on 8 December 2008, he won third place on the list, and was subsequently re-elected in 2009.
He was appointed Minister of Environmental Protection, and the Minister in charge of coordinating between the Cabinet and the Knesset in the Netanyahu cabinet. Upon the government taking office in 2009, he expressed support for Avigdor Lieberman’s speech opposing the Annapolis Conference and international pressure. He commented that “Israel does not take orders from Obama” and that “citizens of Israel have decided that they will not become the fifty first US state”.
In 2011, Erdan turned down an offer to become Israeli ambassador to the United Nations citing his commitment to the environment and desire to further environmental reforms. In November 2014 he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs following Gideon Sa’ar’s resignation.
On 24 May 2015, Prime Minister Netanyahu appointed Erdan as Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Information. The Knesset confirmed him in a 58–55 vote the following day. Erdan’s appointment came eleven days after he initially refused to join Netanyahu’s new government as he deemed the Prime Minister’s initial ministerial offers as insufficient.
Two ministers, Yariv Levin and Ze’ev Elkin, surrendered their portfolios, and Minister without Portfolio Benny Begin resigned from the government in order to accommodate Erdan’s appointment. (TPS & Wikipedia)
