Netanyahu to Bring Sa’ar’s Appointment as Interior Minister to Cabinet on Wednesday

Original report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will bring Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s appointment as interior minister to the cabinet for approval on Wednesday, November 11, Likud announced on Tuesday. Sa’ar would retain the foreign affairs portfolio alongside the additional ministry. He previously served as interior minister in 2013–2014. Likud said Netanyahu had first offered the post to MK Ofir Katz, who declined because he wanted “to coordinate the right-wing bloc’s moves in the Knesset during this period.” The approval request comes while Netanyahu heads a caretaker government. The appointment does not require a separate Knesset approval vote under the procedure for that government. The vacancy followed Moshe Arbel’s resignation in July 2025 amid the dispute over exemptions from military conscription. Justice Minister Yariv Levin subsequently held the interior portfolio for several months. During the vacancy, the government transferred dozens of the interior minister’s powers to the prime minister. The ministry’s responsibilities include local government, municipal taxation, citizenship and entry to Israel. In August 2026, the state told the High Court that Netanyahu intended to appoint an interior minister during the election period. That response followed a petition by the Movement for Quality Government and a court order seeking an explanation of the difficulties caused by the vacancy and the state’s response. Wednesday’s cabinet consideration is the next announced step.