Likud minister claims PM was kept in dark about effort to arrange plum WZO gig for his son Yair

Culture Minister and head of the World Likud Miki Zohar claims it was his idea to nominate Yair Netanyahu for a sinecure in the World Zionist Organization (WZO), and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unaware of the effort to arrange the appointment for his son.

The Likud faction in the World Zionist Organization tapped Yair Netanyahu, a highly divisive figure in Israel, to head the WZO’s Diaspora and Information Department on Wednesday night, resulting in the collapse of a deal for new appointments in key Zionist institutions.

Speaking to several Hebrew media outlets, Zohar asserts he has been impressed by Yair Netanyahu’s “hasbara” or public diplomacy efforts and therefore tried to have him appointed as head of the department, which comes with similar remuneration and perks that a cabinet minister receives.

Zohar told Ynet that he had approached Yair himself and suggested the idea to him, and that after Yair was initially reticent, he agreed to the idea. Zohar also claims that when Netanyahu first heard of the proposal, he was opposed since he was concerned the appointment would create a backlash, but eventually agreed to the idea as well.

Ynet and other outlets have previously reported, however, that Zohar got Netanyahu’s support to head World Likud, to which he was recently elected, in return for agreeing to support Yair for the WZO job.

“This claim does not comport with the facts that Netanyahu didn’t know about this until two weeks ago,” Zohar says in response.

“It was my proposal, at no stage was the prime minister involved in my conversations with Yair Netanyahu.”

Zohar also insists that Likud will not withdraw Yair’s candidacy for the position, and that he has a “legitimate right” to be appointed to the post.