Netanyahu said close to bringing renegade Likud MK Amsalem into government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be close to bringing senior Likud MK David Amsalem into the government, in a bid to quell unrest in the party ranks, Hebrew media reports.

Amsalem is the most senior Likud MK not to get a post in the cabinet and has been openly opposing Netanyahu and stirring up discontent among his supporters in the party.

The Ynet news site says Netanyahu will offer him one of three positions: a minister in the Justice Ministry, minister for regional development, or to be ministerial liaison between the government and the Knesset.

Amsalem had demanded to be either Knesset speaker or justice minister.

Amsalem hinted at a possible entry into the government, tweeting a picture of himself with a prominent spiritual leader and saying: “Before any important decision, there is nothing like receiving a warm word and good advice from Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Ifargan, ‘The X-Ray'”

לפני כל החלטה חשובה, אין כמו לקבל מילה חמה ועצה טובה מהרב יעקב ישראל איפרגן 'הרנטגן' שליט"א. ????

רק בריאות ובשורות טובות ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/tzaTYUoeXx

— דודי אמסלם ???????? (@dudiamsalem) February 6, 2023

Ifargan got his nickname for his supposed powers of diagnosing illnesses by looking at people.