Netanyahu said seeking to give ‘unemployed’ deputy minister role in forming AI policy
Far-right former lawmaker Almog Cohen was appointed to the cabinet last month to help solve a coalition spat, but it has proved tricky to find him suitable work
Former lawmaker Almog Cohen, who left the Knesset recently in exchange for a vague appointment to the cabinet, has been tapped as “deputy minister for artificial intelligence,” Channel 12 reported Monday — though he still has no official responsibilities, including on that topic, according to the network.
Cohen, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, in early April accepted an appointment as deputy minister to resolve a coalition dispute over the balance of seats in the Knesset between Otzma Yehudit and fellow far-right party Religious Zionism, after the former rejoined the coalition.
Efforts to assign Cohen — whose appointment is expected to cost taxpayers some NIS 3.5 million ($967,500) this year, an area of authority have so far failed, Channel 12 reported — because all of the necessary roles are already filled.
Now Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is looking to give him a role in forming the country’s crucial AI policy. Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to make Israel a global AI leader.
On Monday, Netanyahu held an inaugural meeting of a committee on “accelerating the development of artificial intelligence in Israel from a national perspective.”
The committee is chaired by Brigadier General (Res.) Prof. Jacob Nagel, a close associate of Netanyahu who also chaired a special committee for determining the direction of Israel’s military force design earlier this year.
It will “propose an initial national strategy and outline ways to accelerate AI development, including the establishment of a new body within the Prime Minister’s Office dedicated to this mission,” the PMO said in a statement, adding that it includes a team of interdisciplinary experts.
As a temporary solution to Cohen’s empty role, the far-right politician has been invited to participate in meetings of the so-called Nagel Committee.
Cohen — a former police officer, who has no background in tech — is not in charge of the issue, however, and has not received any official authority, Channel 12 stressed.
Cohen’s office claims this is only a temporary arrangement, the report said, and that in time official responsibilities will be given to him, “in domains important to the citizens of the state of Israel.”
Sources in the PMO reportedly told the network, however, that there aren’t any real authorities that could be transferred to him within this role.
Responding to the report on social media, Cohen said the AI work “isn’t even a fraction of what I’m engaged in, but it is a part of which I’m very proud.”
The Beersheba native, who lives in the Gaza border area city of Ofakim, said his role in the AI effort is “to ensure that [the work of] this forum will make it to the Negev and the Galilee, as opposed to primarily serving the interests of the center, and from there to create partnerships with the Education Ministry and schools in the area.”
The reported appointment was ridiculed by some on social media, who mocked the apparent emptiness of the position, and Cohen’s seeming lack of qualifications for any substantive role in the area.
Some posts on X depicted conversations between Cohen and ChatGPT, asking, “What do I tell everyone I’m doing in the office all day?” or “Is it possible to make a pancake using artificial intelligence?” (Prior to entering politics, Cohen ran a Pancake House restaurant in Ofakim.)
Asked by The Times of Israel about the Channel 12 report, Cohen called it “fake news,” saying: “There is a wide range of areas I’ll deal with, but today the official certification letter came out.”
Asked whether he could elaborate, or share the certification letter he was referring to, Cohen did not immediately respond.
Nava Freiberg and Sam Sokol contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.