Cabinet approves Liberman’s return to Foreign Ministry

The cabinet on Sunday approved the return of MK Avigdor Liberman as foreign minister, an appointment slated to be approved by the Knesset plenum on Monday.

The veteran politician has waited almost a year to return to the Foreign Ministry after being indicted and facing trial on fraud and breach of trust charges. The case revolved around an ambassadorial appointment that prosecutors alleged had been a reward to the appointee for his help in Liberman’s battle against a separate corruption investigation.

Liberman was acquitted last week on all charges related to the appointment by a three-judge panel of the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court.

The foreign minister’s return to the cabinet means he will be leaving behind one of the most prestigious roles in the Knesset, where he has served in recent months as chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Several MKs are reportedly seeking to replace him at the head of the committee, including Ofer Shelah (Yesh Atid) and coalition chair Yariv Levin (Likud).

Though he must, for technical reasons, resign and be reappointed to his current position, Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin (Likud) is set to remain in his role as Israel’s number two diplomat.