Netanyahu reneges, keeps MK Yuval Steinitz at helm of Energy Ministry

Prime Minister Netanyahu announces that he will reappoint Likud MK Yuval Steinitz as energy minister in the new government, despite previously having ruled him out.

Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz at a conference in Tel Aviv on February 27, 2019. (Flash90)

After turning down other positions offered by Netanyahu, Steinitz had not been expected to join the government set to be sworn in this afternoon.

“I am pleased to announce that Minister Steinitz will continue to be a key partner in the government in his position as Minister of Energy,” Netanyahu, however, says in a statement.

Steinitz, who has served as a minister since 2009, says in a statement that he is “happy to continue to serve the State of Israel on important energy issues.”